Times of the Creator
by ayyenjay
Summary: Ravel never gave Issei her gift - a Phoenix tear - and Issei dies in the battle with Loki. A powerful girl saves his soul and brings him before the Creator. Issei is given a second chance and goes back to a time of his choosing... but will it ever be the same? Issei is clouded by the past timeline, and the people he once loved are now his most formidable foes. Harem Godlike Lemons
1. 1:1-3 - Death, Burial, and Resurrection

**NOTE TO ALL NEW VISITORS:** These first three chapters were originally one whole one, but I decided to split it into a trilogy in order to build up a sense of suspense. But, seeing as many people went away after seeing that the firs three chapters were so short, I decided to put them into one website chapter but keep them separated as their own individual chapters. Enjoy!

Also, I had to remove the **AN** 's for obvious reasons, but they were mostly just me thanking everyone for all the support that they have been giving for the success of this story.

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 **AN:**

 **{**

Hello and welcome! Here's a story I asked to continue on **Kami of Anime** _'s_ behalf. The original discontinued story is titled _"Highschool DxD: Creator's Gift"_. You should check that out first as well as the writer himself he's good.

Note that this story will only be loosely based on the original, mainly just the premise but the timeline is completely different. I ported in the OC's but as **Kami of Anime** was the one to create them I have no right to call them _my_ OC's.

Also this story will have lemons but not exceedingly so, I will only do so for romance and not for fan service. Sorry.

So anyways, I hope you guys enjoy!  
\- TR

PS: This is my first fanfic, so reviews on how I could improve are welcome.

 **PPS:** Apologies for the error a while ago it was pasted from my doc manager.

 **}**

* * *

Narrator  
 _Emphasis  
_ SPECIAL

"Talking"  
'Thinking' – if Issei, he could either be thinking silently or talking to Ddraig/Zecrow

 **"Ddraig Talking Audibly" –** Ddraig appears on Issei's left arm **  
'Ddraig Thinking' –** either silently or talking to Issei/Zecrow mentally

 ** _"Zecrow Talking" –_** Zecrow appears on Issei's right arm  
 ** _'Zecrow Thinking' –_** either silently or talking to Issei/Ddraig mentally

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* * *

 **I. Death**

* * *

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"Issei NO!" shouted Rias, as if it would somehow save her beloved red dragon.

Fenrir hit the ground on all fours, carrying his prize in his mouth, tasting its blood. As Kiba and Xenovia came to unleash their fury on him, he tossed his mortally wounded victim aside, preparing to fight the two devils.

The victim was clad in crimson armor, with dark emerald gems and golden fangs and claws dotting it. There were also three rather large holes gushing with velvet streams of fresh blood. After a few seconds mid-air, a bright flash covered the scene, and the armor gave away to reveal a fatally wounded Issei Hyoudou.

Everyone watched as Issei hit the ground and skip across the battlefield, leaving a trail of cracked earth and warm blood as he did. He gave out grunts of helpless pain as his limp body struck the ground with every bounce.

"Issei!" Rias shouted as she knelt beside Issei, cradling him in her arms while trying not to touch his wounds.

Mjolnir hit the ground and created a deafening screech as it slid down a small hill and finally rested upright.

"Hang in there," she said, trying to comfort him. "You'll be okay! Come on!"

Issei didn't care. His thoughts were focused on one thing – protecting her. He promised her he would do his best, to protect her and his friends, to never let her down again.

Yet here he was. Helpless. Dying. And there was nothing he can do about it.

Rias looked down on him, tears starting to fill her eyes as she watched him expectantly, waiting for any semblance of strength remaining in her pawn. She was thinking frantically of how to help him, any way to stop the pain he was going through. It hurt her to see him like this. It hurt her so much it made his wounds pale in comparison. There was nothing she could do now, and she knew that. All the Phoenix Tears were spent, having used them on Kiba and Saji earlier in the fight. She would give anything for another right now.

Her tears started to drip onto Issei's bruised face. He looked up at her, his hazel eyes meeting hers. He mustered his strength, and tried to keep his eyes open as he beheld hers. "I'm s-so sorry," he began, "I almost had him. My bad." He continued to stare into her eyes, which were now blue-green waterfalls of sadness and grief. "R-Rias, I h-hope one day you'll be able to f-forgive me for letting you down like this."

Rias was taken aback for a brief moment. Was he really going to let his last moments of life be spent apologizing to someone who failed to care for him? Was he really that selfless? It almost irritated her at this point, having spent months with him and he still fails to see how much he means to her.

But she can't complain, after all, that's why she loved him.

"I-Issei please," she managed to reply between sobs. She lightly clutched one of the wounds on his abdomen, trying to stop it from bleeding, but she only managed to soak her hand in his blood. Issei lightly grunted as he continued to lose blood.

"You've gotta go," he muttered, trying not to choke on the blood that was flooding out of his mouth as he did so. "S-Save *cough* yourselves!"

"No way!" she replied, shaking her head in rebellion. Her tears dropped onto his wound on the chest, its salty sting making him wince. But they kept coming, as if her eyes were endless fountains. "I'll help you Issei, you won't be alone!" she told him.

In truth, she just wanted to spend his last moments with him. Rias was still an educated and smart devil, and she already calculated all of the outcomes – and Issei surviving was not one of them.

"I won't let you die here!" she proclaimed as she decided to let love cloud her judgment. She closed her eyes. She knew what she had to say, the hollow promise she was about to make. She closed her eyes, letting her tears flow down her cheeks, because she didn't want to see his eyes when she said this.

"You're going to be oka-"

He interrupted her with his coughs and heavy breathing as he reached out his hand and attempted to sit up.

"Issei!" was all she could say as she tried to support his back. She saw that the holes went straight through, although slightly smaller in size at the back because of the shape of Fenrir's teeth, but they somehow bled more.

"The… h-hammer," he coughed out as he gestured towards Mjolnir. "We… n-need it!" he spat as his hand twitched with agony. His pain doubled because of the uncomfortable position his body was in.

Slowly, he felt his legs give away, next his stomach, and then his upper body. He slammed to the ground with a thud as his body was now failing him. His lungs gave out one last grunt before he finally gave in, blood streaming out of his mouth and onto the ground below. His muscles relaxed and his fists unclenched. His eyelids started to slide down, a curtain signaling that the show was now over. His feet slid and his knees collapsed, his entire body now leaning horizontally onto Rias' arms and lap.

Rias gasped as she and everyone else came to the same conclusion – Issei was dead.

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* * *

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'I have to do something,' she thought.

She had been watching from her room in the void. If she was in doubt that she could ever feel emotions, she had no questions now – she felt sad, as if her heart had dropped out of her chest; she felt lonely, her first and best friend was now gone, and she couldn't help him; and above all she felt angry. Very, very angry.

The whole universe felt a shiver crawl down their spine as a tear flowed down her cheek and dripped onto the floor.

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* * *

 **II. Burial**

* * *

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'Hey, Ddraig? You there?'

 **'Yeah partner, I'm here.'**

'You had me worried there, you haven't said anything since the bite.'

 **'I was wounded as well, you know. That's why your Balance Breaker disappeared.'**

'Where are we?'

 **'I don't know. One moment my spirit is draining out of you then the next-'**

'Could it be? Could we be in Heaven?'

 **'I doubt it, since you're a devil. But let me see… No, we can't be in Heaven.'**

'How do you know that?'

 **'Do you see breasts anywhere?'**

'Fair point.'

 **'And we're certainly not in Hell, so where are we?'**

'I wish I knew Ddraig.'

 **'We should try to-'**

"Hello, Issei Hyoudou," a resonating voice interrupted their thoughts. "I've been waiting."

"W-Who are you? Where am I?" Issei frantically questioned.

"Do you wish your life could be different? That you could've done better? Been stronger?"

'Ddraig, who IS this guy?' Issei mentally asked.

 **'I thi-' Ddraig was about to answer.**

"To answer your question, I am the Creator, the Almighty, the Everlasting. You know me as God."

"How did you-"

"Hear you? I am Omniscient. I know all – past, present, and future."

"O-Okay, but how are you alive? I thought you died in the war?"

"By your terms, yes, I did die. But I am much more than a mere existence. The rules of life and death do not hold me. In fact, I created those rules."

 **"It's been a long time, my Lord,"** **Ddraig suddenly spoke up.**

"Ah, Ddraig. You haven't changed in the slightest, still itching to battle against your brother. But this time I think you have a candidate that can bring an end to that feud," God greeted him.

 **"What do you mea-"**

"I'm afraid I cannot say more on the matter, I would be revealing too much of my plan," God interrupted him.

 **'How many times is he going to do that?'** **Ddraig complained in his head.**

"My apologies Ddraig, but there are much more important issues a hand."

"You mean, my death?" Issei asked sheepishly.

"Issei Hyoudou, what would you do to live again?" God said, paying no attention to the boy's words.

Issei thought for a moment. Did he really want to go back?

The first thing he remembered were his parents. The Hyoudou residence. Dad sipping on morning coffee and reading the newspaper as Mom prepared some ramen for breakfast, the breeze flowing in from the windows, the smell of the garden filling the house. Yes, he missed that.

Then he remembered Matsuda and Motohama. Yes, his two perverted best friends. If it weren't for them, he wouldn't have been able to survive all the bullying and shunning through grade school, and he wouldn't have transferred to Kuoh Academy. Sure, they were perverted. But they were there when no one else was, to pat him on the back and help him get back up. They were good friends through and through. Yes, he missed them.

Then he remembered his peerage and new friends from the supernatural. Rias, Akeno, Asia, Koneko, Kiba, Xenovia, Gasper, Irina, Rossweisse, Vali, Ophis – he missed them all. Their smiles, their laughs, and even their tears, he missed all of them.

Finally he remembered _her._ He slightly winced at the memory.

 _"Would you die for me?"_

But to be honest, he _did_ miss her. A lot.

"Anything," he almost whispered, tears now forming in his eyes. "I would do anything, to see them all again. See them smile, hear them laugh. I would do anything to be with them again."

 **'Partner…'** **Ddraig muttered. He hated seeing Issei cry.**

"I see. Well Hyoudou, you will be the first and quite possibly the last," God replied.

"What do you mean?"

"This place – I created this place for key people. This is a sort of pit stop between life and death, a temporary existence. You may know of this place as Limbo, or the Afterlife, or Purgatory. You might even know of this place as the Island of Patmos if you read my Gospel," God explained.

"Island of Patmos… you mean where John wrote the Revelation?" Issei queried.

"Impressive. Yes, John came here and I allowed him to witness the future. He held a Sacred Gear, like you. His allowed him to see into the future, as a prophet. You might have also heard of my apostles who healed. They also wielded Twilight Healing, performing miracles on my behalf. You have met its current wielder – Asia Argento."

"That explains it. But are you going to send me to Heaven?"

"No. You are the first to both express your desire to go back and give a selfless reason. Many of my saints wished to join their brothers and sisters in Heaven, whereas the power-hungry wielders only wanted to go back for their own gain. I will grant your wish."

Issei relaxed. "T-Thank you," he began, "erm, God?"

"You can call me however you want to, as long as you don't in vain."

"Okay, God, I get the feeling that this won't be without a price?"

"Yes. Issei, you are a great man. A strong man. The man who will bring an end to the cycle and bring peace to all hearts," God commended Issei, making him smile shyly. "But you are also weak in terms of power, and your perverted thoughts drain the strength you should be using to further your fate. You have wasted your time on perverted actions and have even ignored the women who love you," God reprimanded.

Issei winced. "I don't want to ignore them, but-"

"Yes, I am aware of your trauma. Raynare needn't go to such extremes to kill you. It was unfortunate. You have my sincerest sympathies," God comforted him.

 **"So what is it you are asking of us, Lord?"** **Ddraig butted in.**

"I merely ask that you train to be stronger, master your power, and use your time wisely. Perverted thoughts are natural, but that is why I provided you with your harem!" God proclaimed, chuckling towards the end. "I worked hard on providing you with all you need, use the opportunity!"

 **"Haha!" Ddraig roared.** **"See partner? I told you."**

Issei could only blush and look away from the direction the voice of God was coming from.

"Issei, do you want to be stronger?" God asked.

"Yes," came the reply.

"Then you will need your arm back from Ddraig."

 **"Now just wait a minu-"** **Ddraig began to retort.**

"But in its stead, you must sacrifice something greater. What will it be, Issei Hyo-"

"My heart!" Issei almost shouted, interrupting the voice. "T-take my heart."

There was silence for a moment, then came the reply, "Very well. Ddraig, if you please."

 **"Partner, I don't think this is a good idea." Ddraig warned.**

"Do it, Ddraig. I know what I need to do now," Issei muttered.

 **"No, I cannot let you throw away your humanity. There must be another way."**

"Ddraig…" Issei began to beg.

 **"I said no!" Ddraig shouted. "Look, I can take an eye, but nothing more."**

"That would be sufficient," God commented.

"F-Fine, take my right one, it's seen more boobs," Issei remarked, remembering the peep hole Matsuda discovered.

God chuckled. "Already off to a great start. And be sure to use the harem I provided."

Ddraig roared in laughter again. Once he stopped a bright green flash covered Issei's body as Issei felt his arm return to his full control once again. Then he felt his right eye heat up, and suddenly bones were broken and flesh was torn apart.

"RRRYAAAHHHHH!" Issei shouted in pain.

In a moment he felt blood stream down his cheek. He brought his hand up to inspect the aftermath. He felt warm metal surrounding his eye, and he felt three talons go about an inch down his cheek. His eye felt strange, his vision slightly blurred. He closed his left eye and realized that his right eye was sharper, and could focus through greater distances.

 **His Boosted Gear appeared on his left arm again. "Take a look, partner."**

Issei brought up his arm so he could see his reflection. Indeed, crimson plating surrounded his eye forming an inverted teardrop, with the narrow end at the peak of his former cheekbone. Three golden talons pointed down from his eye and reached until the edge of the narrow end, the middle being longer than the two at the side. His eye was in itself a thing of beauty. It resembled the typical eye of a serpent, with an elongated and narrow pupil instead of the human round one. The usual brownish orange hue was interlaced with a deep emerald hue, and the veins were of alternating color.

"W-Will this be permanent?" he asked, slightly panicked at the thought of everyone seeing him like this.

 **"Haha, don't worry partner!" Ddraig reassured him. Just then the eye disappeared. "It works just like your Boosted Gear. It's the Eye of Draconis, the Dragon's Star."**

"Awesome!" Issei shouted happily, like a child getting a new toy. "Eye of Draconis!" he shouted again, and the eye reappeared. He continued to do so, making it appear and disappear.

In many ways, it really was like a child getting a new toy.

"Alright, now that I've taken care of Ddraig, I will give you a present," God interrupted his playtime.

"What do you mean?" Issei asked.

 **"Yes, what exactly do you mean?" Ddraig added emphasis.**

 ** _"Why hello, Ddraig. It's been a looong time." hissed a voice. "Did you miss me?"_**

Issei could feel Ddraig shudder.

 **"Zecrow."**

 **.**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

* * *

 **III. Resurrection**

* * *

.

 **"Zecrow."**

 ** _"Aww, you DO remember me!" continued Zecrow, "How sweet of you. Ddraig you still know how to make me blush!"_**

Issei was taken aback by this situation. The voice was that of a woman's, but her emphasis and exclamations took a seductive tone. 'Who is this?' Issei thought, 'And how does Ddraig know her?'

"I will leave you to be acquainted with each other for now, as I have some business to attend to," God stated. "Even beyond the grave I must see to it that my plans will come to fruition."

The light from which God's voice had been coming from slowly dimmed, and now only the aurora of lights that enveloped the void shone, illuminating Issei and his Boosted Gear. In the distance, a pendant came to view. It had a large purple jewel in the center of what looked like black scales with golden talons protruding from the center. Its general appearance reminded Issei of Ddraig's armor, but with different colors.

 **"How did you manage to escape?" Ddraig asked, seemingly to no one, as the pendant drew closer and closer.**

'Ddraig who is this?' Issei asked in his mind, reaching out to his dragon spirit who has been unusually detached from Issei's soul since this pendant came into view.

 ** _"Oh, that!" replied Zecrow. "I managed to bait one of the guards into wearing me around his neck, then I entered his soul and ripped him apart from the inside!" she said cheerfully. "Then it was a simple job of freezing time just as the others guards marched in to help their already dead friend, and I was out!" she recalled. "You know, the usual."_**

 **"Yes, unfortunately I DO know," Ddraig replied stoically. "I know enough not to trust you even if the Creator himself hands you over on a silver platter."**

 ** _"Oh Ddraig, ever the cynic. I am a changed woman, you know~" she chimed. "How about you let me show you?" she finished seductively as the pendant was now in arms reach of Issei._**

 **"Like hell I would-" Ddraig began to retort.**

"Who are you?" Issei interrupted impatiently.

 ** _"Oh, where are my manners?" she chuckled. "The name's Zecrow, dear boy. The Gravity Dragon. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Issei Hyoudou."_**

"W-Wait, you're a dragon? And more importantly how do you know who I am?"

 ** _"I make it a point that I know each and every host my beloved red dragon emperor dwells in," she stated matter-of-factly, "That, and God has also told me about you."_**

 **"Filthy stalker," Ddraig spat.**

 ** _"I do more than stalk you, Ddraig," she replied, taking on a seductive tone once more. "I fantasize about you all the time! I want to make those centuries of fantasies come to life~"_**

"Excuse me," Issei interrupted before things got out of hand, "But what do you want?"

 ** _"Child, it's more of what YOU want," she answered sternly, dropping the seductive tone. "Do you want to be the one to save your precious friends? Well I am the only way you can possibly be prepared for what's coming."_**

"So what am I supposed to do with you?" Issei asked as he took the pendant into his hands. "Wear you around my neck?"

 **"No," Ddraig answered, "We have to fuse her to your soul."**

 ** _"Oh Ddraig, you make it sound so hot-"_**

"Wait, what?" Issei almost shouted. "Is that even possible? To have two Sacred Gears, let alone dragon spirits?"

 **"Ordinarily, no, humans couldn't possibly survive the fusion process, because it takes a lot of strength to overcome incompatibility issues," Ddraig stated. "But there won't be any compatibility issues here."**

 ** _"How sweet! I'm blushing even more now…"_**

 **"Silence woman!" Ddraig shouted. "Partner, we have no choice. If the Creator says we'll need her then that's enough for me to go on."**

"Wait, I don't understand why you two won't have any compatibility issues."

 ** _"Because we used to be lovers, dear boy."_**

"WHAT?" Issei shouted.

 **"Yes," Ddraig sighed, "We used to be lovers. I saw her crash onto the earth as she escaped from two other dragons. I helped her and we fell in love."**

 ** _"Brings tears to my eyes every time!" Zecrow wailed, sobbing as she did._**

 **"Ugh. Anyway, it turns out the dragons were after her because she was an assassin, and had killed their pack leader," Ddraig continued. "I didn't mind, I still loved her. Right up until the moment she tried to kill me in my sleep."**

"Okay, now I'm just confused," Issei muttered.

 ** _"I only did so because Albion forced me to! And at least I pleasured you before trying to~" Zecrow grew seductive again._**

"Okay, I think I get it, I don't need to hear the rest right now," Issei interrupted. "All I need to know is, will I survive?"

 **"Yes."**

 ** _"Yes, my dear."_**

"Then that's all I really need. Do it."

Bright flashes consumed the surroundings as the fusion began. The lights danced with colors of green, purple, and gold as the auroras around them paled in comparison. Once the flashes stopped, Issei gasped. On his left arm was Ddraig, the Red Dragon Emperor. On his right was Zecrow, the Gravity Dragon. Both grew to his upper arm, with two green jewels on Ddraig's crimson plating and two purple jewels on Zecrow's black plating. Golden talons poked out of each gauntlet at various places, and he could feel them fuse inside with his soul.

 ** _"Ddraig stop it!" Zecrow squealed in laughter, slurring with seduction towards the end._**

 **"You wish I were doing something to you, vile beast!" came the quick retort.**

"Well this is going to be interesting…" Issei muttered.

"Indeed, it will," God's voice and light reappeared, "I am certain they will lead you on the correct path. Now then, Issei," he proclaimed as his hand reached out of the light.

His hand was, well, massive. It could not even be compared to Issei's body. Even if viewed from a distance where Issei was just a dot, the hand would still be too massive to fit into view. It looked as though God could mold a new world with that hand.

Which he did. But Issei was more concerned with how easy it would be for him to crush said world.

"You need to train. But I am afraid I can no longer hold your existence here with the combined energy of both your gears. I will have to make a quick shortcut and pour years of knowledge and experience into your mind. Your body will also mature with the same amount of time, but you will not lose your age, so don't worry," God told him. "Your body will accept Ddraig and Zecrow's strength and intelligence, and you will be tougher than you ever have before. Are you ready?"

Issei took a moment, taking it all in. "Yes, I am ready."

A twister of light burst out of God's hand and enveloped Issei. They twirled around him in high speeds, forming a tornado with Issei at its center. They finally dispersed after a few moments, and revealed Issei with a slightly buffer body, slightly longer hair, and his eyes glowed with power.

'I-I feel like I can take on the universe!' was his first thought.

"Watch it boy, don't go power-hungry on me now," God warned.

Issei snapped his attention toward his Creator, annoyance in his eyes. He almost made the huge mistake of talking back to him, before Ddraig interrupted him.

 **'Don't be stupid, partner.'**

Issei relaxed, eased his muscles, and unclenched his fists that he had subconsciously made.

Issei smiled. "Thank you, God, for all of this."

"That's better. Now, I will give you the choice, and choose wisely now," God began, "Choose which time you want to be transported back to."

 **'Go for it, Partner. You and I both know what you're going to say,' Ddraig teased.**

 ** _'Ddraig, dear, let the boy make his own decision!' Zecrow rebuked._**

"Have you chosen?" God asked after a few moments.

"Yes. I have," came Issei's reply. "What now?"

"Think on what you were doing at that time as I begin the process," God instructed. "Try to imagine you were still there."

Issei closed his eyes as he remembered. God reached out his hand.

 _It was at sunset, standing at an overpass was a teenage boy muttering to himself. Cars passed under him as he continued his tirade of self-pity. "Ugh, being a teenager's the worst!"_

God's hand was now cradling the space in which Issei floated upon its palm.

 _"At this rate, jerking off to porn is the closest I'll ever get to doing it before I go off to college which means I'll be a virgin forever and die alone!" muttered the boy to himself. He closed his eyes and let his head drop from his hands and softly leaned against the railing of the overpass._

God swiftly closed his hand and seemingly crushed Issei in his fist.

 _The boy heard light and soft footsteps approaching him, but he thought it was just some other random pedestrian and didn't bother looking up. 'Let them see me and feel bad for me,' he thought to himself._

God unclenched his fist, and Issei had disappeared.

 _"Excuse me," she began, "you're Issei Hyoudou from Kuoh Academy right? Or am I wrong?"_

.

* * *

 **End of Chapter**

* * *

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And so ends the introduction trilogy! Next up will be a bittersweet story of a boy who goes on his first date, knowing it was doomed from the start.

Will he be able to resist falling in love with her again?

Peace out.  
\- Lord SS


	2. 1:4 - In the Beginning

Brace yourselves, this one is rather long!

Thank you all so much for your support for the first three chapters.

Hope ya like this one, it took a while!

* * *

Narrator **  
**"Talking"  
'Thinking'  
 **"Ddraig Talking"  
'Ddraig Thinking'  
 _"Zecrow Talking"  
'Zecrow Thinking'_**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

* * *

 **IV. In the Beginning…**

* * *

.

 _"Excuse me," she began, "you're Issei Hyoudou from Kuoh Academy right? Or am I wrong?"_

Issei stiffened.

"Uhm, are you okay?" she asked.

 **'Partner?' Ddraig asked mentally.**

'Zecrow, freeze her for me,' Issei thought.

 ** _'Anything for you, my dear,' came Zecrow's reply._**

The space around the girl slightly distorted, and in an instant she was frozen in time. Zecrow also froze her thoughts, and so in this state the girl is technically dead.

Issei looked up at her, a single tear escaping his eye and dripping onto his uniform. He slightly winced at the sight of her in her Yuuma form, looking all sweet and innocent. If he didn't know any better he would have fallen for her in that moment. Issei looked away, fighting back the urge to stare at her more. But, alas, his body moved with a mind of its own, and Issei walked toward her slowly.

'It worked,' Issei thought. He was really back in time. He checked his phone for the date - nearing the spring semester of his sophomore year at Kuoh Academy. He looked upwards, and whispered, "Thank you."

He reverted his attention to the girl in front of him. She was slightly smaller than him, with long black hair reaching her waist. She was wearing a red dress uniform and a skirt from another school, and was carrying a brown briefcase with both hands in front of her, arms tucked underneath her breasts, making them bulge. And my God those bre-

 **'Ahem.'**

"Right, sorry," he shook his head. He needed to refrain from thinking perverted thoughts.

Her violet eyes were staring right at him, making him shudder slightly. Her head was slightly tilted to the side, her bangs hanging over her left eye, covering it. She looked so cute. It was so dangerously deceptive that she looked almost genuinely cute.

Issei couldn't help but get closer to her. He was now a foot away from her, his feet having stopped dead in their tracks. "I-" he managed to make out.

"I-"

He cleared his throat.

"I-I lov-"

 **"What are you doing?" Ddraig asked audibly as he appeared on Issei's left arm.**

 ** _"Hush!" hissed Zecrow as she appeared on Issei's right arm. "Let him finish!"_**

 **"You know she can't hear you, right?"**

 ** _"Ddraig! Let the boy say his peace!"_**

"Both of you shut up," Issei said sternly.

 **"But-"**

"Now, Ddraig."

Both Sacred Gears dematerialized in green and purple flashes, leaving Issei's arms free of their burdens. He brought up his right hand and lightly cupped the girl's left cheek. Tears were now flowing from his eyes, unable to hold them back any longer. He cleared his throat once more, and continued, "I loved you."

Issei felt as if an entire building was lifted from his chest. "I sincerely loved you. You were my frist girlfriend, my first date, and my first love," he proclaimed to her.

Her eyes simply stared back into his crying ones.

"But you were just tricking me, fooling me into believing that I could finally experience love. In the end you were just manipulating me," Issei whined. "But… but… I-I still love you!" he shouted, closing his eyes and tilting his head down. "I love you! And I'll do whatever it takes to make you feel the same!"

Issei leant onto her frozen body, his arms on her shoulder, as he cried his eyes out in front of her. His tears were creating a small puddle beneath him. Once he could no longer cry he looked up. Her eyes, those violet eyes, stared right back at him. He released her and slowly backed away to where he was before, and assumed the position he was in.

"Zecrow."

She didn't bother replying, she already knew what he wanted her to do. After all, they shared the same mind. With a slight twitch of his right ring finger, the space around Raynare distorted once more, and she was freed from her temporary death.

"You _are_ Issei, right?" Raynare – or Yuuma, in this case – asked shyly.

Issei looked up at her, his eyes meeting hers once again. "Yeah," he finally replied before standing up straight. "I-Is there something I can help you with?"

"Hi, I-I, uh…" she began, stumbling out of embarrassment. "I j-just wanted to ask you a quick question."

Issei's heart dropped. 'She's really good at acting,' he thought.

"Are you seeing anyone right now?" she finally asked in that sweet, sweet voice.

'Here goes nothing,' Issei thought. "Now? No, why?" he answered her.

"T-That's wonderful!" she quickly chimed. "Uh, in that case, s-since your single, do you think you'd like to go out with me?"

Issei swallowed hard.

"I-I've been watching, you pass by here a lo-"

"Yes," he interrupted her.

Yuuma quickly looked at him, shock in her expression. "W-What?" she asked sheepishly.

"I mean, yes I'd like to go out with you," he explained. "I've always wanted a girlfriend, and you're really cute," he continued, making her blush slightly.

 **'Partner…' Ddraig pleaded mentally.**

"R-Really?" she asked excitedly. "In that case, I want you to be my boyfriend!"

.

* * *

.

Shortly after their conversation, they agreed to meet up at the same spot the next morning, so they can walk together for a while before having to part ways again and head toward their schools. Having said their goodbyes, they went their separate ways, and Issei was now walking home alone in the evening sky. The moon had not quite showed up yet, and Issei was relying on the streetlights to illuminate his path.

He had been walking quietly for quite some time, but unfortunately his mind was filled with voices arguing over what he had done.

 **'…and not only that, she tried to kill Asia Argento as well!'**

 ** _'But love creates second chances for everyone! You'd be surprised how much a little love can change someone's heart, be it angel, fallen, or devil.'_**

 **'But she _doesn't_ love him!'**

Issei stopped walking. 'Watch it Ddraig,' he thought.

 **'Fine, sorry, but doesn't make it any less true!'**

 ** _'Ddraig…'_**

 **'She doesn't love you and you know that she is just playing you-'**

"Well then let her!" Issei shouted audibly, causing people around him to keep their distance from him, thinking he was crazy.

He might as well have been at this point.

'I appreciate your concerns for me and my wellbeing, but this is my decision and it's final,' declared Issei. 'Now, I don't want to hear about this again.'

 **'Fine.'**

.

* * *

.

The next morning Issei woke up slightly disappointed. He was used to waking up with three or four girls sleeping next to him naked. Not because he was perverted, but because he just missed them.

And last night, when he entered his house and saw his parents, he dropped onto his knees and started tearing up right there at the doorway. Once his parents noticed him they came to his side and asked if he was okay. They asked if he had seen another skirt fly up because of the breeze, since that was the only other time Issei had cried at the door like that. He hugged them tight and told them he would do his best. Though confused, his parents just hugged him back.

He had spent the night listening to the two dragons that were now inside him argue. Zecrow insisted on sleeping with Ddraig, and Ddraig insisted that she could do so over his dead body. They continued their banter well into the early hours of the morning, before Issei finally had enough and said that he would kill himself if they continued.

Issei checked the time. 5:47 in the morn-

'Damn,' he thought. 'I need to get rid of this alarm clock.'

He picked up the perverted alarm clock and threw it in a box under his bed.

'Damn, I need to get rid of these,' he thought as he realized just how perverted he used to be when he saw all the posters, pin-ups, magazines, manga, erotic games, and hentai that was in his room.

After cleaning up he proceeded to freshen up in the bathroom. Everything was peaceful as he showered when a certain someone decided to wake up.

 ** _'Oh my, it really is true~' Zecrow chimed._**

Issei almost jumped at the sound of her voice in his head. 'Oh right, sorry, forgot there was a female in my head now.'

 ** _'Believe me boy, I'm not one to shy away from prizes of this… magnitude~' she seduced._**

'W-What are you saying?' asked a panicked Issei. 'And what do you mean 'it really is true'?'

 **'She's referring to the myth of the hosts I've inhabited throughout the millennia,' stated Ddraig, having just woken up.**

'And what might that myth be?'

 **'That their… assets reflected those of the Red Dragon Emperor, yours truly.'**

'I don't understand-' Issei began to think, confused.

 ** _'It means your penis has the same ratio as his, dear,' Zecrow answered seductively._**

Issei almost died from blood loss as his nose bled into his bath.

.

* * *

.

After a few more minutes of putting on clothes and getting ready for school Issei was out of the door.

He packed his breakfast because he was running late due to… circumstances during his bath. He gave his parents a swift goodbye before running towards the overpass. And all the while, two dragons were fighting over the thought of Issei being late because of a myth.

He reached the overpass just five minutes late from their arranged meeting. She was there, leaning on the railing, waiting for Issei. She didn't look like the innocent and sweet girl that she pretended to be. In that moment she looked annoyed and bored, leaning onto the railing. When she noticed Issei she put on her best smile and exclaimed "Good morning!" as she ran to him and greeted him.

"Hey, Yuuma, sorry I ran into some problems," Issei apologized, scratching the back of his head as he did so.

"It's okay!" she said cheerfully. "Wanna get going?"

As they walked, she talked on and on about anything that she saw, be it the butterflies hovering over the wet grass or the lovely elderly couple sipping coffee together on their porch bench. She looked so sweet, so innocent, so lovely – like a little girl walking through the street. 'God help me,' Issei thought. 'And no, I'm not saying that in vain.'

"…and that tree over there is where I crashed on my first bike ride!" she giggled. "I never really learned to ride the bike properly, I don't know why."

'You never had to,' Issei thought, 'After all, you can fly.' Issei smiled, patting himself on the back for still being able to recognize her for what and who she is.

"I'm sure you just need a little more practice," Issei attempted to engage in conversation. "I myself crashed more than a few times back when I was learning."

She chuckled and smiled brightly. "That's probably because you couldn't see through those gigantic bangs of yours!" she teased.

"Hey, now, I happen to like my hair!" he retorted. "At least I don't have to worry about mine getting tangled in the wheels!" he teased back, making her pout.

Wait.

It's happening again.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop it.

Issei looked downcast as he continued walking, slightly falling behind from Yuuma.

"I-Issei, are you oaky?" she asked, sounding worried. "Was it something I said? Oh, I'm sorry for whatever it is and I hope I can make it up to you!" she exclaimed, bowing her head in sincerity.

'She should've tried to become a professional actress,' he thought.

He lightly sighed, he didn't like what he was about to do. "Yuuma," he began, "Do you really like me?"

Yuuma took a step back as she gasped and placed her hand on her mouth, her eyes wide with shock. Issei's heart dropped. Of course the answer was no, and he knew that. In fact he shouldn't have even-

Yuuma ran forward and almost tackled Issei, hugging him as she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest. If he had been the old Issei he would have slammed onto the pavement, but being a little stronger he managed to balance himself as he carried her weight.

"O-Of course I do!" came her reply. "You're my boyfriend, after all."

 **'Partner…' Ddraig began.**

'I know, Ddraig. I can feel it too,' he stopped him. 'She's lying.'

.

* * *

.

After a few more blocks they had to part ways, with Yuuma heading toward her 'school' and Issei heading towards Kuoh Academy. But right before they reached the crossing, they ran into Matsuda and Motohama, who could not express their disbelief more than a few words.

"You betrayed us!" wailed Matsuda.

"Traitor!" whined Motohama.

Tears streamed down their faces in a most pathetic manner as Yuuma and Issei approached. But instead of taunting them like Yuuma was expecting Issei to do, he ran forward and hugged both of them hard. "I missed you perverts!" he shouted.

"And we missed you, but who is this broad?" asked Matsuda, slightly struggling under the weight of Issei draped around his neck.

"Yeah, and when since when did you work out?" queried Motohama, his ability to size up women also came in handy as he examined Issei's slightly buffer body.

Issei paid no attention to their questions and simply clung onto them longer. "Oh you remarkable idiots," he began as he let go and joined Yuuma by her side. "Since you won't remember any of this anyway, her name doesn't matter. She's my cousin from Tokyo," he lied.

The perverts stared at Issei questionably, disliking their friend's vagueness. "Since when did you have a smoking hot cousin from Tokyo?" they asked.

Yuuma herself raised an eyebrow at Issei. "What did you mean by 'you won't remember any of this'?"

Issei simply chuckled and grabbed Yuuma's hand, making her slightly gasp and blush lightly. Matsuda broke into tears again, slamming onto the ground on his knees. Motohama simply fainted backwards and hit the ground with a loud thump. Issei led Yuuma in between the perverts and continued their walk for about another block without speaking, simply holding her hand in his.

.

* * *

.

Once he reached Kuoh Academy, Issei tensed. All around him he could feel strong energies, some more than others. He whispered, "Eye of Draconis," and his right eye morphed into its alternate form. He quickly covered it with his right hand, permitting only a slit in this fingers to see through. 'This won't do,' he thought, and ran towards a nearby tree with a couple sitting under it.

"Uhm, excuse me-" the guy began.

"You're excused, now scram," Issei quickly dismissed them. The couple did walk away, deciding not to let Issei ruin their mood. Issei leaned against the tree with his right shoulder, bringing up his right hand to play with his bangs as he also leant his head to the tree. He did an okay job of hiding his eye as he surveyed the area. He shut his left eye, and everything turned greenish orange. His pupil dilated, and now only faint silhouettes of a few people could be made out. He strained his eye and focused on those silhouettes.

There they were. The first he could recognize was Kiba. He was being crowded by some girls asking for his email, to which Kiba only smiled and rejected them. 'How many hearts has this guy broken?' Issei thought. Just when one girl was about to tear up, Kiba touched her lightly on the shoulder and told her to cheer up, that they could always be friends. He gave her a bright smile – that Kiba smile – and the girl instantly lit up with joy. 'Damn, who would've thought that the Excalibur survivor would be the player of the century?'

He then recognized a smaller figure all alone at the back of a building, sitting at the stairs. Koneko was eating a bag of sweets with one hand as she read from a book with the other. Other freshmen attempted to talk to her, to which Koneko simply shoed away with her snack-eating hand. Issei chuckled, Koneko was always one to reject company if she had no interest in them.

He refocused on two other signatures. They were constantly together, as well as followed by what seemed like six or seven other weaker presences. It was Sona and her queen Tsubaki, followed by what Issei reasoned was none other than Saji. They were speaking of Rias' engagement to Riser Phenex, and how Rias was doomed to marry-

Issei began to search for Rias. He finally fixated onto two strong presences in the hallways of the junior's classes. He recognized the two as Akeno and Rias. Akeno was talking about her newest chess strategy and how Rias was in for a big one, to which Rias only scoffed and told her to bring her A-game. How he missed her eyes, her hair, her laugh. It's as if time slowed down as he watched her, beholding he beauty once more. Her voice was as smooth as honey as she spoke, tickling Issei's ears as he let his thoughts focus on her. Just then Rias stopped dead in her tracks, tugging on Akeno's shirt sleeve. For a few moments Rias simply stared at the ground while Akeno had a confused expression plastered on her face, before both looked up – directly at Issei.

He was a little shocked. It was as if they could see him there, watching them. He refocused on Kiba, who was now doing the same, staring at Issei, ignoring the annoyed girls trying to catch his attention. Issei spotted Sona and Tsubaki do the same, but her peerage was preoccupied. Lastly he refocused on- wait, Koneko was gone, her bag of sweets now on the floor, spilling its contents, and her book was on the floor as well. Issei searched frantically for-

"Who are you?" came a stern voice. Issei almost jumped in horror as Koneko was now directly in front of him. He didn't see her because she was short enough to duck under his eyes. Issei quickly dismissed the Eye of Draconis as he struggled to find an excuse.

"I-I'm Issei H-Hyoudou," he stammered, "I'm a sophomore here and I was just lost-"

"I know who you are," Koneko interrupted with her usual monotone voice. "Rias told me to investigate on you beforehand. But I asked you WHO you were."

Issei took a step back.

Koneko took two steps forward.

Issei, panicked, started running towards his building. Koneko reached for his collar, but decided not to scare him away any further. She returned to her sweets and her book while everyone laughed at the running pervert.

.

* * *

.

During the day Issei got a few visits from people he once called friends. Kiba was the first, entering Issei's classroom, making all the girls squeal in excitement. They were all crowding him until he shouted "Issei? Issei Hyoudou?" over the chorus of girls asking for his email. Then all the girls, like clockwork, turned to Issei with pure rage and evil in their eyes. If looks could kill, Issei was sure he would've ended up as grains of sand in the River Styx [1]. Issei quickly ran out of the death trap of a class room and hid on the roof.

After a few minutes of peace, Issei felt a very powerful presence rising fast from below. He ran towards the edge and was about to peer over just as Akeno flew past him, making Issei stagger back. Akeno hid her wings once more and said, "Ara ara, I wanted to see the powerful presence myself," she began in her usually playful tone. Issei simply dashed toward the door but before he could, Koneko stood at the doorway, munching on some sweets she had in her pocket.

Issei jumped off the edge of the building in a panicked frenzy. Akeno and Koneko ran to try and save him, but they were surprised to see Issei standing there, waiting for them as they peered over the edge. Except Issei was standing horizontally on the wall of the building. He jumped over their heads, landed behind them, smirked, and then ran out the door again. "Who is this guy," was all that Koneko could say.

Towards the end of the day Issei was called to the Student Council room but he decided to skip out by blending with the crowd as everyone rushed to exit the school. Just when Issei thought he was home-free as he crossed the school gate, a voice made him freeze.

"I won't ask again. Who are you and what did you do to the boy who used to reside in that body?"

Issei turned slowly, eyes staring at the floor. He looked up and his hazel gaze was met by blue-green ones, sternly overpowering him. Rias stood on the sidewalk, arms crossed under her breasts.

"Uhm," was all that Issei could say before he slowly started to walk backwards. "I don't know what you're talking about!" Issei shouted as he began to run at full speed away from Rias, who shouted in annoyance.

"You cannot escape us forever, Issei Hyoudou!"

'Believe me,' he thought as he ran, 'I don't intend to.'

.

* * *

.

It was time.

Issei was standing in the middle of an intersection, leaning onto a statue.

'What am I going to do?' he thought.

His thoughts were interrupted by a voice. "Here, take a flyer!" said a woman, who was dressed in some form of outfit. She handed him a flyer with a magic circle in the center, and the top read "Your wish will be granted." He smiled. He recalled pedaling his bike up and down hills for miles to fulfil the promise on said flyers.

Eventually, Yuuma arrived and they began their date. Issei took her shopping, and he bought her a pink bracelet. Then he took her to his favorite ice cream bar, and Issei tried very hard to refrain from focusing on her generous bust. Then they took a walk around the park and were approaching the fountain at its center just as sunset began to start.

 **'Partner, what's the plan?'**

 ** _'She seems to have warmed up to you a little, maybe try confessing?'_**

Issei paid no attention to the voices in his head. He already knew what he was going to do. His hand slightly brushed against hers, and he took her hand in his. Yuuma slightly blushed as she bowed her head down and stared at the ground, though she didn't retract her hand. Just as they reached the fountain, she ran forward and stopped, facing Issei with her back towards the fountain.

'Here goes nothing,' Issei thought as he sighed.

"Can I ask you a question?" she began.

Issei tensed his legs.

"In honor of our first date, there's something I'd like you to do to commemorate this special moment."

Issei stiffened his back. "Sure, anything at all," Issei responded to the girl who was now bowing before him, her eyes closed.

She smirked. She looked up slightly and opened her eyes. _"Would you d-"_

Issei interrupted her as he lunged forward, grabbed her by the shoulders, and planted his lips on hers.

.

* * *

 **End of Chapter**

* * *

.

.

.

Well, that just happened.

I'll leave you guys to it.

Peace out.

\- Lord SS

[1] - River Styx, Google it - pretty important.


	3. 1:5 - It Is not Good for Man to be Alone

**AN:**

 **{**

Sorry this took so long. I actually had this written already, saved it and was working on the next chapter when Windows needed to reboot for an update. So I saved my files and did as I was told, but when I logged back in LibreOffice had disappeared and my files were corrupt. I downloaded my previous chapters, but I had to recreate this one and I lost all my progress on my next one too! In total I lost approximately 7,000 words, so it took a while. =)

On another note, I was pleased to receive so much support from you guys for my previous chapter, and rest assured I will continue to make my chapters **at least** as long as the last one, or even longer. I'll also try to release a chapter twice a day, since you guys have been showering me in favorites and reviews. Thank you so much again for all the support, and hope you guys enjoy!

Special thanks to Arue for reviewing and giving me a great idea, which you will see down below!

PS: I changed some of the formatting, as it was sort of confusing.

PPS: I've updated the cover art to feature both Ddraig's Boosted Gear and Zecrow's Gravity Gauntlet. It took a lot of patience to cut those two pictures, not to mention color Zecrow's! But I still need a back shot of Issei, preferably looking over his shoulder and at the camera. For the love of me I couldn't find any, so if you have one help a brother out and send me a link via PM or review, since I read each one.

PPPS: There may be a curse or two mixed in there somewhere, just be prepared.

 **}**

* * *

Narrator  
 _Emphasis  
_ SPECIAL

"Talking"  
'Thinking' – if Issei, he could either be thinking silently or talking to Ddraig/Zecrow

 **"Ddraig Talking Audibly" –** Ddraig appears on Issei's left arm **  
'Ddraig Thinking' –** either silently or talking to Issei/Zecrow mentally

 _ **"Zecrow Talking" –**_ Zecrow appears on Issei's right arm  
 _ **'Zecrow Thinking' –**_ either silently or talking to Issei/Ddraig mentally

.

.

.

* * *

 **V. Let There Be Light**

* * *

.

 _-the night before, 23:57—_

"I must say, I wasn't expecting you," Issei said warmly, "not yet, at least."

He was lying on his bed, struggling to fall asleep during the calm times between Ddraig and Zecrow's arguments. Before he could, he felt a very – and I mean VERY – powerful presence approach his household, and it eventually made its way into Issei's room.

Issei opened one eye, searching his room for whoever it was that chose to investigate him tonight. The night before, Koneko had been watching over him, eating sweets and reading books on the roof of the house across the street. He had managed to draw her away by using Zecrow's Mirror Image ability and created an illusion of Issei, which he sent to dash out the window and lead Koneko on a wild goose chase.

But he had a feeling this time it would be different. The presence had gotten INTO his room. He wasn't sure who it was or what they wanted, but it sure as hell wasn't one of Rias' peerage. 'Maybe Sona's?' Issei thought, 'No, they are far too weak to exert this much power, let alone try to hide it.' He had noticed that the entity was using some form of cloaking seal, trying to hide as much of its power as it could, probably in hopes of sneaking in stealthily.

Something caught Issei's eye. He squinted as he tried to figure out what it was – what looked like a golden comb was floating in the air. No, not a comb, it was-

"Azazel," Issei muttered as he closed his eye, relaxing a bit.

The figure emerged from the shadows, proving Issei right. "Ah, so you did notice me, after all," Azazel started, taking on his trademark casual tone, "but how would you, a seemingly normal and extremely perverted sophomore only two days ago, detect a presence such as mine – even if I've spent centuries mastering the art of stealth?" he asked, almost rhetorically judging by his slight slur.

"Lucky guess," Issei spat as he turned on his bed and directed his back at his previous mentor. "Now, please, leave. I'm going to need my rest for tomorrow."

"Oh, you mean for your date with my pretty little Raynare?" Azazel smiled as he felt Issei tense slightly. "Or should I say, Yuma," he chuckled, enjoying teasing the boy. "Save your breath, she's just playing you so she can-"

"Kill me, at the end of the date," Issei finished for him. "And at sunset, hence her name, Yuma."

Azazel's smile gave way to an unusually serious expression on his face. "And how did you manage to just _guess_ that," he questioned in a stern voice.

Issei sighed as he sat up and rested on the side of his bed, his feet resting on the cold wooden floor of his room. He stared into Azazel's eyes, engaging in a battle between hazel and violet. After a few minutes of pin-drop silence, Issei slightly smiled. "As hard as it is to admit," he began in a tone completely unfit for the level of tension in the room, "even if I absolutely hate your guts sometimes, I kind of missed _you_ too, Azazel."

Azazel smiled back warmly. "There are only two ways one can travel back in time, but seeing as how I watched one die and helped kill the other, how did you manage that?" he questioned.

Issei managed a small laugh. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he replied. "But I can assure you that you still have a lot to learn about _these_."

In an instant, bright flashes of green and purple covered Issei's arms, making Azazel slightly lean back on his seat. The light dispersed shortly and revealed Issei's pair – in more ways than one – of Sacred Gears. Azazel lit up like a little child on Christmas day, and in a brief blur he ended up kneeling in front of Issei. "May I?" he asked giddily, to which Issei smirked and nodded.

Azazel ran his hands all up and down Ddraig's red scales, golden talons, and emerald jewels.

" **Watch the merchandise," Ddraig warned, almost making Azazel squeal in joy.**

Soon after Azazel's figure blurred once more and he ended up sitting beside Issei on his bed, hands now caressing Zecrow's black scales and purple jewels.

" _ **Don't get carried away now~" Zecrow cooed, seducing the excited Fallen Angel.**_

After a few more minutes of Azazel gawking over the two Sacred Gears, Issei yawned. "Don't forget about this," he yawned as he unveiled the Eye of Draconis in a green flash.

AND after a few more minutes of Azazel nearly kissing Issei as he inspected his eye, he retreated and sat back down on his chair, once again sitting across the wielder of the Sacred Gear.

"Well I certainly wasn't expecting _this_ when Baraqiel warned me of a Sacred Gear host awakening in this town," he began, "and I certainly wasn't expect said host to have not one, but _two_ of said Sacred Gears." He leaned forward slightly, "And I certainly wasn't expecting said Sacred Gears to be none other than the Red Dragon Emperor's Boosted Gear and the Black-Winged Assassin's Gravity Gauntlet," he remarked.

He leaned forward even more, tilting his head so his mouth was now a hair's breadth away from Issei's ear. "And I certainly wasn't expecting said host to have not only eluded us for 17 years, but also managed to wind up on the radar of my little renegade squadron of Fallen Angels," he whispered. "And not only that, but somehow land a date with my most deceptive student, knowing she was going to kill him anyways."

Azazel leaned back into his chair as Issei simply stared at him, eyes half-open from fatigue. "Well, sounds to me like you're not very _certain of a lot of things nowadays,"_ Issei mocked, making Azazel smirk. "But you left out the part where I travelled through time."

"Oh, yeah," Azazel scratched his jaw, "yeah, that too."

Issei chuckled. He dismissed his toys and stood up, looking down at his guest. "Since you're here, and since you were sort of my mentor before, I feel like I should tell you the whole story," he told him. Azazel leaned back, getting comfortable for the coming story when Issei interrupted him, "Over a cup of tea, of course. You _are_ still a guest in my house after all, even if you did sneak in."

And so the Sacred Gear addict and the withdrawing pervert went downstairs and sat on opposite ends of the dining table. Issei began to serve tea for them both as he recounted the events that led up to his death, starting with a certain girl he met at an overpass.

.

* * *

.

 _-present time—_

Rias was sitting at her desk in the Occult Research Clubroom as she shifted in her seat, anxiously waiting for her summon. "And are you sure he pocketed it?" she asked the figure before her.

The woman was the same one who handed Issei a flyer earlier today, at around 09:49. "Yes, he even smirked as he read the top."

"Very well, you're dismissed," Rias replied, all the while still staring out the window to her right. 'The sun's going down already,' she thought. 'Maybe he didn't make it after all.'

"Koneko," she suddenly snapped, but not letting her eyes leave the orange view at the window.

Koneko, in a similar fashion, did not bother looking up from the book she was reading. "Like I said, he left his house at 08:32 exactly, and reached the statue at around 09:24, just six minutes before the agreed upon meetup," she reported.

"Kiba."

Kiba uncrossed his arms as he stood up casually, leaving his beloved leaning position at the wall. "After that they went to the shopping mall nearby and started browsing through a couple of dress stores, having the girl try a few of them on," he recalled. "Then they ended up at a jewelry store at 11:07, and he bought her a pink bracelet."

Rias sighed. "Akeno."

"Ara ara, my turn already?" Akeno chimed as she set down the tea she was drinking onto the coffee table. "Well, once they left the mall, they started headed towards this cute little ice cream parlor, and had their lunch as well as an hour or two of dessert as they just… talked," she hesitated as she blushed slightly, "it was quite sweet actually. I grew a little jealous!" she smiled.

"And was that around the time when you lost them?" Rias asked, annoyed.

"Ara ara, don't be like that!" Akeno pouted. "I tried my best but I got the feeling that they were starting to notice me, so I decided to keep a little more distance between myself and them. But once they rounded a corner, they were gone!" she explained.

Rias stared thoughtfully at the now reddish-orange sky. 'Something's wrong,' she thought to herself. She stood from her desk and walked toward the window, opening it and letting the breeze come in, much to Koneko's annoyance as the pages on her book started flapping uncontrollably.

But the red-haired heir to the Gremory clan had her thoughts focused on one thing and one thing only. 'What was that power?' she thought as she closed her eyes and recalled.

 _-two days earlier—_

"Who was that boy?" she asked.

Akeno was standing behind the couch her master were currently sitting on. They were engaging in a game of chess, although some of the pieces were glowing red. "What boy?" she asked back.

"The kid who was sitting in the middle."

"Well," Akeno tried to remember, "I think he's in class 2-B. If I remember right, his name's Issei Hyoudou," she recalled. She shifted her gaze back at Rias, "Why?" she asked, "What makes you ask about him?" she pushed.

"Oh, nothing," Rias lied. "I just wondered if you knew who he was, that's all." Rias made a move on the chess board, using her pawn to corner Akeno's king. "Checkmate," she proclaimed, beating her best friend once again as she stood up from the couch.

"Aw," Akeno whined as she bent over the board, confirming her loss.

"You're trap was very easy to see through," Rias remarked as she began to undress.

"Sorry, I did my best to make it harder on you," Akeno responded.

"Thanks, I look forward to next time," she replied, draping her clothes onto the couch. She got down to her underwear, and slid that off and placed it with her other clothes, then she stepped into the shower and turned on the hot water.

As she let the warm water cover her body, she couldn't help but wonder. 'What was it about him that I sensed?' she asked herself. She has not noticed the boy for his particularly average looks, or his slightly geeky voice, or his reputation as one of the biggest perverts on campus. No, she had sensed something completely different from him. 'Could it be?' she suddenly thought as her eyes opened.

"Akeno," she beckoned.

"Yes, Rias?" came the reply.

"Ask Koneko to follow that boy, I'm afraid we've overlooked something."

"But Rias, Koneko is on her summons-"

"This is not up for debate. Do whatever it takes."

"Yes, master."

'Let's hope no one else has noticed,' she thought.

 _-present day—_

Rias sighed.

Looking back at it now, she realized what she really found interesting in his aura. It wasn't even his power. It was the way he seemed completely oblivious to it. He seemed as though he knew nothing about his aura or the supernatural for that matter, as he just sloppily sat next to a building full of powerful devils without even flinching. And when she came to look at what was disturbing her thoughts-

He looked right back at her.

Those hazel eyes, that goofy looking yet well-kept hair, and that expression of pure wonder as he stared back into her eyes. She had almost lost herself in her thoughts when the two perverts next to him started ogling her bust. She couldn't care less, but decided against making herself seem easy.

But she had honestly hoped that she would get to see him more, maybe even talk to him.

It was the beginnings of a very deep, intimate, and _secret_ crush.

Her thoughts were broken by the sound of Akeno giggling. "Ara ara, Rias, you're blushing!"

"Let's just hope he uses the flyer," she finally spoke.

.

* * *

.

The universe shuddered as she narrowed her eyes.

'I don't know what exactly he just did,' she thought, 'but I get the feeling that I _should_ know.'

She frowned. "Vali," she muttered under her breath, and a wormhole appeared behind her, and a young man with silver hair stepped into the room, if you could even call it that. It was comprised of four walls, a floor, and no roof, forming a nice little square with nothing but a few toys scattered around. The girl was currently lying down on her belly, resting her chin on her two hands as she flailed her legs in the air playfully behind her. It would've been the perfect image for a little girl if it weren't for her cloths – which were made up of nothing but a few pieces of cloth and leather – and her stern, almost frighteningly serious expression.

"You called?" Vali asked, exhaling in annoyance as he did so.

"What is he doing?" she asked, pointing at the corner of the room she was facing.

Vali peered over the girl sprawled on the floor to look through the wormhole she was using as a makeshift television set, watching what seemed to be-

"They're kissing," he responded. "Or, rather, _he's_ kissing _her_."

The girl didn't flinch. 'What's kissing?' she wondered.

.

* * *

.

Something squirmed in the bushes near the fountain.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Matsuda softly wailed.

"I-It can't be true!" Motohama whined.

M&M had seen the couple while they were strolling through the mall, and the two decided to lay aside their erotic game browsing to follow the couple. They watched in horror as their best friend went on his very first date, jealousy boiling inside their stomachs. They observed them browse through dresses and shirts for each other, laughing and having a genuinely good time together – which only made Motohama want to vomit even more as Matsuda already was.

Then they followed them to a jewelry store, and M&M attempted to catch Issei's attention by waving around like a pair of idiots outside the shop, hoping their friend would see them through the shop window. But alas, Issei was too focused on having a good time with his girlfriend. They watched as he tenderly took her fingers in his and brought them up to his chest, making her blush. M&M were sure that Issei would pounce on her then and there in the dressing rooms, but instead he held onto her hand with his own while his other hand reached for a pink bracelet on display on the counter next to them. He spread it slightly with his fingers before he carefully placed it onto her wrist, making her blush grow a deeper shade. She abruptly retracted her hand as she faced away from him – and faced directly where M&M were. They ran to the side, and thankfully she didn't seem to notice them.

But _they_ noticed _her_.

On her face, where they expected surprise and shyness to be, was an expression of pure hate and disgust. She looked like she was holding back her vomit. But just as quick as she turned, she changed her expression to that of sweetness and gratitude, showing off how the bracelet looked on her as she twirled around and smiled warmly at Issei, to which he just nodded in approval and bought it on the spot. The girl – Issei never told M&M her name – actually looked shocked, thanking Issei for the gift.

Matsuda's mouth twitched. Motohama's eyes narrowed. "She's playing him," they said in unison.

After that, they followed Issei and his date to their favorite ice cream parlor, and they sat outside in the parking lot, watching closely as Issei's date started drinking her soda float and happily burying her mouth into the whipped cream on the top, as Issei drank his in a slightly calmer method. Once she was done with the whipped cream she bounced back on her seat, giving out a giggle of joy as she loved how it tasted. As she did, one of the buttons on her shirt popped open, revealing her bust generously, making M&M get a nosebleed. Issei himself blushed a bit, but couldn't resist staring for a few moments as the girl resumed drinking her soda from her straw. She noticed him getting so flustered, and when Issei had come to his senses he quickly looked away and sipped on his straw rapidly in embarrassment, making him cough out from the cold soda. The girl offered him a towel as he did so.

"It sickens me how deceptive she is," hissed Motohama.

"Yeah, brosef," agreed Matsuda, "definitely some sort of gold-digger."

"But Issei's not even that rich, OR that smart, either," Motohama remarked.

"Then what could she be after?"

"We'll just have to wait and see."

With that, the two resumed stalking their prey.

They followed them as they walked through the park, going around in circles as they just… talked. It was amazing seeing their normally perverted best friend be so smooth and confident around such a beautiful girl. But they tried not to start shipping them as a couple, no matter how cute they looked together, because they knew the truth and the truth was that the girl was a deceptive bitch.

And now, they were in the bushes of the park, the sun setting behind them as they watched Issei make a bold move and hold her hand in his. Sure, this is probably the third time he's done so, but this is the first time he has without any motive, just wanting to feel her close to him. M&M, having spent around eight hours following the couple, thought that they would just give up and head home when the girl suddenly ran forward leaving Issei where he stood as they reached the fountain. They could faintly hear her talk for a bit, and Issei agreeing to something. Then as she was about to say something-

Their best friend leaned in and kissed her, arms on her shoulders.

M&M broke down in tears on the spot.

.

* * *

.

'Fuck,' she thought, 'what now?'

She had been prepared for everything, or at least, she thought she was. Even if he suddenly declared he was gay, she had a plan. She had thought of every step, every spot where they would go, and the perfect time to do _it_ , when no one was around. She was ready. But not for _this!_

She slightly squirmed under the new weight she was now balancing against. She wasn't exactly in a comfortable position when he did it, she wished he had warned her or something before-

'Wait, why haven't I done anything about it?' she thought to herself.

She knew she had to act. This was her target, after all. That, and she was already in love with someone else. Her mind was racing to get her muscles to push him back, or for her to pull away. But nothing happened – she just let him. She could feel her lips give in, going with his smooth ones and dancing along with his liquid motions. Her knees felt weak, her breasts seemed heavy. She could feel her back relax and lean into it. Her shoulders, where he was holding her, drooped down lightly, prompting him to pull her closer to him even more. She moaned slightly into the kiss, letting him envelope her in his arms as they reached around and hugged her around her waist. She was tilting her head upwards and to the left as she brought up her arms to his chest and leaned on him lightly, but judging by his muscles, she thought that he barely even cared.

After a few more seconds she decided. 'I don't care anymore,' she thought as she deepened the kiss from her end. 'I'll just enjoy this while I can. It _is_ my first kiss, after all.' She let her tongue graze his lower lip softly as she crossed the point of no return. He reciprocated with his tongue, and they danced together in between their mouths. He started pushing in deeper – surprising her, as she had heard that he was a virgin, and was perversely shy around girls. She reluctantly let him in, and he touched and felt every inch of her mouth. She moaned at the sensation of his tongue, closing her eyes to let every touch send shivers down her spine.

Eventually she decided it was her turn. She strengthened her knees and got onto her toes, her hands now firmly gripping onto his shirt on his chest. She fought his tongue back with her own, and swiftly entered his mouth. He tasted like water with a touch of honey, mildly sweet. He moaned slightly, making her moan as well. Her tongue explored his mouth with a resolve, making him smile slightly at her forcefulness. She tried reaching as far back into his mouth as possible before he suddenly removed his hands from behind her and she felt one go up to her nape and grip her tightly, making her gasp. His other hand snaked down her side and rested just above her posterior.

She pulled away and looked into his eyes, her violet ones matching his hazel gaze. They looked longingly at each other for a few moments, before his arms contracted, crashing her lips into his, locking them in another kiss. She moaned at his forwardness, his confidence, and especially his skill – he was much better than she could ever have imagined he would be. Their tongues danced around each other for a few more minutes, as if they had both forgotten the world they were in for that brief moment – or at least that's what they thought. In truth, they had been kissing for the past half hour.

She pulled away, leaving a thick saliva trail between their lips, and blushed a deep shade of red as she buried her face in his strong chest, breathing heavily as she tried to catch her breath. Her breasts felt like weights, and she could feel her legs give way to a moist feeling. 'Why can't I stop?' she yelled to herself in her head. Her eyes started to close as she rose and fell with each of his breaths. It felt so calming, to breathe in unison with someone so close to her. 'N-No, I c-can't…' she tried to protest to herself. The reddish-orange lights started dancing away as darkness fell upon the couple. In a few moments her mind gave in, letting her eyes slowly start to shut as she drifted off to-

"Hey," he lightly shook her as she leaned on him. "Don't fall asleep on me, Raynare."

Her eyes quickly widened once again, and she looked up at him. His hazel eyes looked as genuine and sincere as ever, hiding nothing against her as he simply stared deeply into her eyes. Their breathing had returned to normal, but both still looked very flustered, as they were blushing heavily. She tilted her head upwards, intending to meet his lips with hers and taste him and feel him again in her-

Wait.

She suddenly pulled back, escaping his grasp and swiftly brought her arms up to her chest, feeling a bit shocked at what she just heard him say. "D-Did you just call me R-Raynare?" she almost shouted in surprise. 'Fuck me, who is this guy?' she thought to herself.

Issei sighed as he straightened his back. "Well, shit, I did, didn't I?" he said calmly.

"N-No," she muttered, "No more games! Who are you?" she yelled.

"Why don't you ask _him_?" he remarked with a small smile, pointing behind her.

She quickly spun around at the direction he was pointing and gasped at who she saw sitting there.

"Nice to see you again, Raynare," Azazel said as he smiled that iconic nonchalant smile.

 **.**

* * *

 **End of Chapter**

* * *

 **.**

.

.

 **AN:**

 **{**

Hehe, you guys must be pissed that I spent 2/3 of that story leaving you guys hanging.

How'd you like the kiss description? It was fairly vivid, as I was holding back a little – I'm not exactly sure what constitutes M and MA on this site.

Also, if you haven't guessed by now: I _**LOVE**_ cliffhangers. =)

But now, I'm afraid I have some bad news. I may or may not be taking a short break, probably a day or two, because my aunt from America - who is getting married in a few months - is bringing her fiancee here to the Philippines, to introduce to our family. I'll be in attendance for the welcome home party, and I won't be able to write, as much as I want to continue this story.

But for now, enjoy reading some other fics! I strongly recommend **Kami of Anime** 's works, as this story is loosely based on his discontinued one. And also **SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan** 's works, as they are the ones that brought me into the world of FanFiction in the first place.

Peace out.  
\- Lord SS

 **}**


	4. 1:6 - The Garden of Eden

**AN:**

 **{**

First small action scene, as well as… a lemon. TUN TUN TUNNNNNNNNNNN.

Well, kind of.

Thanks again to all of those that reviewed, it helps to know people enjoy my work, as well as the suggestions and thoughts I receive.

That being said, I need a beta reader. Don't get me wrong, I consider my speech and grammar to be nearly perfect (as my sister is an English major), but some errors and minor mistakes still slip through. So if you're interested, PM me and maybe we can arrange something.

You guys didn't seem to mind how I changed the story up a bit. Personally, I hate Issei x Rias, because it's used all the time it's almost grown stale in my mouth. Don't get me wrong I love Rias as a character but as the main pairing I just find her lacking. My favorite pairings is Issei x Raynare, Akeno, Kuroka, Xenovia, and Koneko (slightly). But my all-time favorite is **Irina** , by a long-shot. I would include Ophis, but as **rakudaikenshi** pointed out, Ophis is genderless (she can shapeshift her gender). But I'm a really big fan of Ophis, so I might sidestep that fact and put her in anyways. Also this doesn't mean that the harem will be limited to only the people I mentioned – they are just the main pairings that will have the most romance.

I hope you enjoy this chapter, and be sure to read the AN at the end as well.

PS: Still waiting for someone to send me a link of the picture of Issei I mentioned in the last chapter. I'm really excited to get my hands on one, so I can make the cover art even better looking. For those of you who asked, I use Photoshop CC. I'm not very good at it, but I get the job done. =)

PPS: Does anyone even read my AN's?

 **}**

* * *

Narrator  
 _Emphasis  
_ SPECIAL

"Talking"  
'Thinking' – if Issei, he could either be thinking silently or talking to Ddraig/Zecrow

 **"Ddraig Talking Audibly" –** Ddraig appears on Issei's left arm **  
'Ddraig Thinking' –** either silently or talking to Issei/Zecrow mentally

 ** _"Zecrow Talking" –_** Zecrow appears on Issei's right arm  
 ** _'Zecrow Thinking' –_** either silently or talking to Issei/Ddraig mentally

.

.

.

* * *

 **VI. The Garden of Eden**

* * *

.

'The boy's got some fight in him,' he thought.

Azazel sat cross-legged on the skirt of the fountain, tilting his head slightly to the side as he enjoyed watching the scene before him unfold. The sunset behind him began to sink into a deeper shade of reddish orange, bathing the two figures in front of him with the beautiful colors if the sun. The sound of the fountain's constant splash seemed to drown out the entire world, releasing an aura of peace and calm around it. The leaves of the trees surrounding the area rustled softly as the breeze swept in, making Azazel's blonde bangs sway gently as he smiled.

The hair of the girl started to sway as well, but because of how long it was and much of it there was, her hair offered a little more resistance, and didn't sway as much. Her bangs started to graze the cheek of the boy she was kissing, and with her hands clinging hard onto his shirt, she couldn't do anything about it.

The boy's hair also danced with the breeze, but his was flailing about randomly as he never really kept his hair proper. One of his hands was wrapped around the girl's waist, pulling her into him gently. His other hand was currently moving around in circles on her back, massaging her at the base of her shoulders and the arch of her spine, as she gave off an appreciative moan into their kiss. This hand suddenly reached up and ran its fingers through her long and beautiful hair, caressing her head. This prompted the girl to lean in even more, her toes aching from all the wait being put on them.

Eventually the girl pulled away, a thick saliva trail stretching between their lips. She blushed heavily, and buried her face in the boy's chest. 'Oh?' Azazel suddenly thought. 'Is she _actually_ embarrassed?' he pondered as his smile grew.

The girl started to fall asleep as they breathed in unison, his rising and falling chest lulling her to sleep. The boy gently shook her, saying, "Hey, don't fall asleep on me, Raynare."

Azazel's smile cracked even wider, his hand covering his mouth as he tried to hold in his laughter. 'He's in for it now!' he thought excitedly. 'Now things are getting interesting!'

He watched as the girl drew in for another kiss, before suddenly staggering back and bringing her arms up to her chest, shock creeping into her expression. "D-Did you just call me R-Raynare?" she asked, surprise dripping from her voice.

The boy fixed his posture as he replied, "Well, shit, I did, didn't I?" as his shoulders drooped down in disappointment. His eyes stared directly at her, piercing into her thoughts and making her hesitate.

"N-No," she muttered. "No more games! Who are you?" she yelled.

For a moment, Azazel's smile faded away. 'Interesting,' he thought to himself. 'She may be an amazing actress, but I can't help but wonder if she really _is_ hurt.'

"Why don't you ask _him_?" the boy replied with a small smile, pointing at Azazel.

Azazel sighed. 'Here we go,' he smirked.

The girl turned around and gasped at seeing Azazel sitting there.

"Nice to see you again, Raynare," he said, smiling.

"A-Azazel," she stammered. "I-It's not what it looks like!" she yelled as she bowed her head in shame.

"Oh? Is that so?" he snickered as he stood. "Well then, Raynare, tell me what it _does_ look like."

Raynare's eyes widened with panic. She started breaking into a cold sweat, her entire body now quivering at the thought of her love seeing her like this – with Issei. Tears started to well in her eyes. 'It's over,' she thought, 'now he'll never look at me.'

"Raynare, don't take this too badly, but I never intended to return your feelings," Azazel said sternly. "Even if you planned to do something as reckless as killing this generation's Sekiryuutei."

And with those words, Raynare fell to her knees.

"S-Sekiryuutei?" she gasped. "Impossible. H-He's just a pervert with a Twice Critical."

"Hmph. You call these a Twice Critical?" Issei interrupted, manifesting his two gauntlets as well as his dragon eye. "You should really do your homework before you attack a target."

Raynare, by this point, was beyond shocked. She simply stared at the ground before her, not knowing how to feel. 'He's been tricking me all along?' she questioned herself. 'He knew who I was while we were on that date?' Her hands started clenching tightly, making her knuckles turn white. She stopped crying, and stopped shaking. Her bangs cast a shadow onto her eyes as her expression turned blank.

"It seems we've broken her," Azazel remarked. "Why don't we take-"

She suddenly stood up and transformed into her true form, a Fallen Angel. Her two black wings burst from her back and launched herself into the air, looking down at her target with the killing intention of a predator for its prey. But much to her surprise, Issei and Azazel didn't even flinch, they simply looked up at her, as if expecting this reaction from her.

With a swift motion she lunged down at Issei, bringing her leg up to kick his face. Issei simply tilted his head to the right, her attack completely missing, and leaving her vulnerable at his mercy. He grabbed onto her leg and swung her like a baseball bat, sending her flying towards the fountain where Azazel sat. Azazel blurred as he appeared on a bench not too far away, dodging Raynare as she hit the fountain with a loud thump, crushing the delicate concrete of the fountain. Before the dust cloud that formed settled, she lunged forward again, trying not to focus on the pain that last attack gave her. She formed a red light spear in her hand as she dashed forward, aiming it at Issei's heart. The latter just gave her wide grin as he blurred.

Raynare landed where Issei was standing mere nanoseconds ago, light spear piercing nothing but thin air. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped as she realized that he had dodged her in the blink of an eye. She looked about rapidly, searching for her opponent. That's when she felt a hand running through her hair. She turned around, facing Issei who was just standing there, as if enjoying the moment as he gently pet her head. His other hand was in his pocket, and his eyes were closed. He was giving her this wide smile that seemed so pure and innocent. 'He put away his weapons,' she thought. She brought around her spear and tried to thrust it into his throat, before he blurred once more and now stood to her side, his mouth lingering over her ear. His breath felt warm against her neck, making her shiver slightly.

"You look cuter as Yuuma," he whispered.

She was now pulsing with rage. Her face dripped with anger as she manifested another light spear in her other hand, twirling around and trying to catch him in his stomach. Issei stepped back as the spear grazed his shirt, making a long cut on it. "Aw, I just bought this," he remarked, slightly disappointed. Raynare was now even angrier than before, not taking his goofy behavior kindly. She bent down and flapped her wings, sending her barreling towards him with both spears directed at the center of his chest.

"Mirror Image," he muttered. Issei's figure was engulfed in a slight mist. When it had subsided, Raynare stopped mid-air and stood two feet away from him. Or should I say, _them_.

Before her stood five figures, each identical to Issei's appearance. They were all smiling devilishly at her, hands in their pockets. She threw a spear at the closest one, and watched as the figure was impaled by her weapon, only to dissipate into a small smoke cloud. The four remaining figures chuckled. She threw her other spear at the illusion farthest to the left, ending up with the same result. "Only a coward uses cheap tricks like this," she growled.

"I don't want to fight you, Ray-Ray," all three figures said in unison, grinning widely as Raynare grew ever angrier at the nickname he just called her.

"Don't you EVER call me that again!" she shouted, sending another spear hurdling towards another illusion, making it dissipate and leaving only two figures left before her. She cracked a smile as she created two more light spears and lunged towards them both, burying her weapons deep into each chest as she relaxed a bit, victorious.

Both figures disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Okay, that's enough of that," said a voice behind her. She tried to turn around, but she blacked out before she could, feeling something cold and metal touch the back of her head gently.

.

* * *

.

Raynare woke up in a dark room, sore and unable to think clearly.

She was lying down on a soft brown couch, in what seemed to be a nice little home. There was a cold cup of tea on the table next to her. She squinted as she tried to figure out where she was. 'This isn't the church,' she thought, 'maybe Azazel's place? No, this is far too modest to be his condo.' She looked around for another minute or so before giving up, concluding that she must have been taken into the home of someone else-

Her eyes widened at the memory of what happened right before she black out. 'Damn. The dragon kid. He was stronger than I expected.' Reluctantly, she reached for the cup of tea, hoping to ease the dry feeling in her mouth and throat. Her back ached and her feet swelled slightly, but it was nothing compared to what could have happened if the boy even gave a shit in their fight. Her hand finally made contact with the tea cup, it's warm and soft skin feeling rather nice against her-

"Hmm?" he mumbled, stirring from his sleep. "You need something, Ray-Ray?"

Raynare could only watch in horror as a figure manifested itself from the shadows before her, its head buried in his left arm as his right clung to the tea cup. Their hands were still touching each other, hers wrapped around his gently. He was sleeping on the table across from where the couch was, wherein she was currently lying down on. 'FUCK!' she yelled in her head.

Issei lifted his head up from his slumber. "Oh, right," he said warmly, greeting the girl with a smile. "I took the liberty of taking you home after Azazel and I finished talking." He sat up straight and noticed the tea cup and their hands. "What a waste, it's gone cold," he remarked as he released his hand from hers and started walking to the kitchen with the cup. "I'll make us some more."

Raynare was still staring where she has been for the past thirty seconds, paralyzed by the shock of discovering where she was and who was with her. "Y-You took me here? Are you stupid?" she started questioning, rage seeping into her voice with every syllable. "You think just because you let me sleep on your couch and offer me some tea that I'll forget who you are? I'll be damned if I let you-"

"Please keep your voice down, my parents are sleeping," he interrupted. "And believe me I will answer all your questions and concerns once I settle down with you comfortably," he said calmly as he continued to make tea for the two of them, not even turning to face her as he poured the how water into the pot.

After what seemed like years for Raynare – when it was actually about 2 minutes – Issei walked back and sat where he was before, placing a tray on the table, on which were two cups and a pot. He placed a cup on the table in front of him and placed the other in front of his guest. He started pouring into her cup when she suddenly asked, "Who are you?", her voice dripping with what seemed like… fear?

"That must be the thousandth time someone's asked me that in the past three days," he remarked. "To answer your question, I'm Issei Hyoudou from Kuoh Academy, and I happen to be the proud wielder of two Sacred Gears, the Red Dragon Emperor's Boosted Gear and the Black-Winged Assassin's Gravity Gauntlet," he began to explain, "and four days ago… I was dead."

He then began to explain everything that's happened to him, starting with them meeting in his previous timeline. She took it surprisingly well, only reacting to some parts, especially the part where Issei kills her at the church as she finished her master plan to impress Azazel. She was slightly depressed after hearing that a group of rag-tag devils managed to usurp her plans, and not only that, kill her and her comrades. But after a bit more of the story, her eyes seemed to light up in amusement and enjoyed the story, like a little girl being told a bedtime story. She laughed at most parts, especially the part where Issei became the victim of an unintentional harem during the swimming pool debacle. She didn't even realize that she had drank nearly nine cups of tea.

"…which brings us here, at my home," he finished, smiling.

Raynare simply smiled back. She got on the floor, crawling on all fours toward Issei. She rounded the corner as Issei simply stared in shock and started to back up slightly. She was now in front of him, inching closer and closer, and pushed him down onto the floor as she climbed on top of him. She brought her mouth down to his hear, and whispered, "You're one hell of a virgin."

She then roared in laughter as Issei shoved her off of him. He smirked, "You can still be a deceptive bitch sometimes, you know that, right?"

They exchanged more teases and laughter as they got along quite well. After an hour and a half, they were sitting on the couch, half-asleep. Issei had collapsed and had fallen asleep ahead of her, who was sitting on the opposite end of the couch as she observed the boy who she shared her first kiss with. 'Azazel said that he would never return my feelings for him,' she thought sadly. She brought her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, placing her chin on her arms as she did. 'But Issei… he loved me. No, _loves_ me.' she thought, a small grin escaping her lips. 'I did have fun with our date… and he is sweet, handsome, smart, and strong – everything a girl could ask for…' she continued to wallow in her thoughts as the clock ticked in the background, being the only sound she heard. She looked at it, annoyance overflowing from her expression. She read the time – 11:11 at night. "Well, would you look at that," she softly muttered.

Raynare closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep for the seventh time that night. 'Why can't I sleep?' she asked herself. With her eyes closed, she started thinking about the things that Issei just revealed to her. She slowly began to recall everything, and was about to fall asleep when she remembered what she just thought about. Her heart began to pound, resounding in her chest harder and harder with every beat. Sweat started to form on her forehead. Even the ticking of the clock seemed to be drowned out by her heartbeat. But her mind had it the worst. Her head was filled with mixed emotions towards Issei. 'He _loves_ me,' she thought.

Her head suddenly started to flashback to the first time she heard of him. She had been reported to by her sources that there was a Twice Critical Sacred Gear wielder in Kuoh, and she began to search for him intending to snuff him before he can manage to do any harm to her plans. When she first saw him, she scoffed at the sheer perverseness of the weakling that was Issei Hyoudou. She laughed at his attempts to peek into the girls' changing area and watched in amusement as he got his ass handed to him by the kendo club. That's when she decided to make her move, and when she saw him loathing his virginity on the overpass while the sunset bathed him in its colorful embrace she couldn't pass up the moment. She transformed into her innocent human form, and decided on her name. Yuuma, because she would kill him at sunset after their date. And so she acted all shy and innocent and approached him. But something happened right before he looked up at her. For some reason, the scrawny pervert that she had observed suddenly had strong muscles and gave off a powerful aura. 'That's when he came back,' she thought. Then she remembered their date, and, well, she could only blush to herself. Sure, she was reluctant at first, but when he bought her that bracelet and the way in which he had her try it, she couldn't help but fall for him just a little bit. She lied to herself and thought that he was pathetic, even making a face when she turned away from him.

But deep down, Raynare knew. Her heart beat faster and faster before it suddenly went silent when she said, "He _loves_ me, and… and I think I love _him_."

She returned her attention to the boy who was sleeping in front of her. For some reason, she felt drawn to him somehow, as if a baser urge within her loathed for contact with his strong, muscular arms and his solid, formed chest and-

'Crap,' she thought as she finally gave in. She inched closer to him and snuggled into his open arm, resting her head on his chest. Her free hand subconsciously started to eel up and grope his abdomen, marveling at his toned body as she did. After she had done quite a bit of exploring – even under his shirt – she closed her eyes and let her hand roam freely. She was drifting off to sleep herself when her hand came across something soft but firm. She started groping it and feeling around, trying to figure out what it was. She was close to guessing, but she wasn't fast enough.

"Uhm, are you going to be doing that all night? It sort of keeps me from sleeping," he told her.

Raynare opened her eyes to see her hand gently grasping his groin. She froze for a moment, surprised at what she was holding… and its size. She then smiled deviously – she knew what she wanted. "You up for a little game?" she cooed seductively up at Issei.

"W-What sort of game, exactly?" he asked nervously as she climbed on top of him, sitting astride him.

She grinded her groin on his as she slid upwards, squeezing his growing bulge into the crevice of her butt. He moaned ever so softly, a blush spreading across his face. "You know, for a virgin, you sure can kiss," she teased before bringing her mouth next to his ear again as she whispered, "But I can do _so. Much. Better._ " She began to kiss his neck and back of his ear, licking and sucking gently. Issei gasped and gripped her hair with one of his hands, his other reaching down to cup her posterior. His bulge grew larger and harder as she began to kiss him deeply and nibble on his lips. "I was holding back before because I was surprised," she explained. "But now, I have the upper hand."

She began to grind on him, her butt massaging his manhood. He groaned slightly, before he firmly squeezed her butt, making her moan slightly into his neck as she continued pleasuring him. His hand gripped her head and pulled her into a kiss as he continued to play with her posterior as she grinded against him. As if suddenly powered by lust, Issei brought both of his hands to her chest, and in one swift motion he ripped her leather top open, exposing her large breasts. She gasped in surprise, before grinning and nodding for him to continue. He started to grope both mounds with his hands as they continued to kiss. At first he was stroking them, feeling how soft they were, before he started weighing them, making them bounce up and down slightly in his hands, and finally he started to squeeze them lightly. She gave appreciative moans, and her hand now gripped onto his neck tightly, thrusting her tongue deep into his mouth. While it was there, she stopped kissing and started to give off even louder moans as he started sucking on her tongue, not giving her any rest.

He pushed her away, saliva bridging their mouths as he did. They stared deeply into each other's eyes for a moment as they panted heavily, catching their breaths. He then set his sights on her voluptuous breasts, and he swiftly took one of her now taught nipples in his mouth. He lapped around its base with his tongue as he played with her other nipple with his left hand. His right hand snaked around her waist and once again held onto her butt firmly. He gently licked, sucked, and nibbled on the teat in his mouth, making her arch her back and shove her breast into his face in ecstasy. She moaned loudly and almost constantly, even more so as Issei did the same to her other breast.

"I-I'm *ah* getting w-*unh*wet," she almost mumbled as she fought back her moans. Issei suddenly brought his mouth up to hers and locked lips with her again, exchanging saliva as they did. He got a firm grip on her waist with both hands and he stood up, prompting Raynare to wrap her legs around him as he carried her, kissing all the while. He brought her down gently onto the table, knocking off a cup from the table, making it shatter on the floor. But they didn't even bat an eye – they were too caught up in their sexual drive. Issei began snaking down from her mouth, planting soft kisses on her neck, chest, stomach, and then right above her leather underwear. He looked up at her, his eyes asking for her permission. She nodded, and Issei brought his hand up to slip off her soaking wet-

"Now, son, when we agreed to let her stay the night," his father started as he flipped on the light switch, "you promised something like this wouldn't happen." He looked at the couple sternly. Raynare gasped and squealed, bringing her arms up to cover her breasts and kicking Issei on his collarbone. Issei looked up at his father apologetically, and was about to say sorry when his father interrupted, "BUT I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW PROUD WE ARE!" he exclaimed, a smile that reached his ears now taking the place of his stern expression from just moments ago.

"Oh, yes, we thought you would die a virgin!" chimed in Issei's mother. "And to do it with such an attractive young lady!"

Issei blushed as Raynare composed herself again, now giggling slightly at watching Issei squirm from embarrassment. Eventually they ended up sleeping, Raynare in the guest room and Issei in his room.

But, of course, Raynare wanted to tease and seduce Issei more, so she snuck into his bed before morning came. Issei woke up, and instead of being surprised, smiled at the feeling of nostalgia this gave him, as well as the fact that the girl he loved seemed to return his feelings.

But his smile faded away almost instantly. He closed his eyes and tensed at the memory of his dream.

.

* * *

.

- _-Issei's Dream—_

"Where am I?"

 **"** **You're dreaming, Partner."**

 ** _"_** ** _And sometimes we want to talk to you."_**

 **"** **So we borrow you from your dream."**

"What do you want to talk about?"

 ** _"_** ** _Dear, I know that it can be hard not to, but I must ask you to stop telling people about your little time-travelling escapade."_**

"What? Why?"

 **"** **Partner, whenever you do, you're creating a small tear in the boundary between this dimension and any other dimension. And if this boundary rips apart, this entire universe that you and I know and love will be sucked into the Dimensional Gap, forever lost.**

 ** _"_** ** _This has already happened several times, and usually it takes only one person to be told in order to rip the boundary. But, thankfully, I can patch the tears with the help of Ddraig's power."_**

 **"** **But she and I can only do so much at a time. So please, at least for now, don't tell a soul."**

 ** _"_** ** _We'll inform you when you can tell another person. Just be sure you do it in private, so that no one else hears you. If they speculate or figure it out themselves, it won't harm the boundary. But if the person you told about it tells another person, it could create an even larger tear."_**

"I see. So I have to tell them to keep it a secret?"

 **"** **Yes. Azazel already knows that, so I wouldn't worry about him."**

 ** _"_** ** _But make sure your new friend knows as well."_**

"Okay, and thank you. Whenever I can again, please tell me."

.

* * *

.

Issei brought along Raynare – in her Yuuma form – as he went to school. She wrapped her arms around his strong one, and as they walked people gawked at them, both students and adults.

"Is that Ero-Issei? Who is that cute girl with her?"

"Woah, is that really Hyoudou the perv? And who is that smokin' hot chick with him?"

"Isn't that the Hyoudou child, the pervert prodigy of his father?"

"Pervert Prophet Issei has landed a cute girl?"

'If this is what it's like now,' Issei sighed to himself, 'I can't wait for Matsuda and Motohama's reaction.'

But they were absent that day.

Issei didn't give it much thought as he brought Yuuma to the Student Council office, and asked if she could enroll. Sona was very reluctant at first, but Issei froze time in the room, along with everyone in it. He brought out his Eye of Draconis and muttered, "Jericho," and Sona's metaphorical walls of doubt and reason came tumbling down. Issei snapped his fingers and dismissed his Eye of Draconis, then he had Zecrow release her grip on the room. No one noticed anything, of course, but Sona felt a little light-headed. Not wanting to show her weakness, she simply tried to stay calm and answer him, but his gaze pierced right through her, and she weakly replied and gave Raynare consent to enroll.

They went to the school office and got her fitted, but for the day at least, Yuuma had to attend class – the same as Issei's, by her request – in her casual clothes. At the end of the day Issei had gotten many glances of sheer evil, all the students ripping him apart in their heads. Yuuma simply giggled and latched onto his arm even more, even giving him a small peck on the cheek when they were at lunch, causing even more trouble for him. Before they left school they picked up the uniforms and headed home.

'Strange,' he thought as he was walking back. Yuuma was talking on and on about something, but he wasn't paying her any attention. 'Rias and the gang never once checked on me… did something happen?' he asked himself, trying to recall if he had done something to them. 'No,' he dismissed the thought, 'they're probably just giving me some space.'

But unbeknownst to Issei, trouble was brewing in the Occult Research Club.

.

* * *

.

"He brought a FALLEN ANGEL to school?!" Rias yelled.

"Yes," came Sona's calm reply. She tried to hide her emotions but she knew she had messed up.

"And you let her ENROLL?!"

"Y-Yes," Sona bit her lip.

She tried to remember what was going through her head when she gave her permission to Issei. One moment she had already dismissed the thought without much effort or thought, then the next she was confused and felt dizzy. She remembered looking up at his eyes – his beautiful hazel eyes – and felt trust and comfort wash over her. She clenched her fists – is she sick? 'Impossible,' she thought. 'I haven't been pierced by any light spears recently, and we can't catch human diseases.'

But Sona couldn't shake this feeling inside of her. It was as if they had a connection, deep and heavy. When she looked into his eyes and he into hers she could feel her heart beat a little faster and louder, and everything around her seemed to fade away as they stared at each other. His strong gaze finally broke through her, and she let him get inside her head. Her thoughts became his thoughts, and she let him have his way. 'I was weak,' she thought, 'nothing more.' But she knew that something else was going on here.

For now, she chose to focus on the rage that Rias emanated.

"I don't know what's gotten into you, Sona," Rias continued, "but you need to keep it together. Issei Hyoudou is a very powerful threat to us as of the moment, and we can't afford to let our guards down."

"And you were thinking straight when you first saw him? When you had him followed? When you had your peerage risk their lives and anonymity in the school when you had them try and capture him?" Sona began to talk back. "Or maybe it was when you were so prepared to have your peerage stalk him during their date, and even go so far as to have your familiar give him a summoning flyer, so that you could revive him as your own?" she jabbed.

Rias reeled back, along with everyone in the room, with the sudden outburst from the usually calm and calculated Sona. They could see that something was clearly wrong with her, and Akeno was about to ask before Rias held up her hand. "Thank you for your time, Sona, Tsubaki," she dismissed the argument.

Sona narrowed her eyes in resentment. "Very well," she responded. She stood up, motioned for Tsubaki to do the same, and together they walked out of the ORC room.

On the way to the Student Council office, Tsubaki decided to give it a try. "Kaichou," she began, "is something wrong? Are you feeling ill? Did Hyoudou do something to you?" she pestered.

Sona didn't respond, not even looking at her queen. Her head was repeating the events in the office earlier that day over and over again, trying to figure out what she was feeling. But she suddenly stopped with her eyes wide open, prompting Tsubaki to ask what was happening. "I-I…" Sona began to mumble, her eyes still popping with shock.

Tsubaki gave her a questioning look, again about to ask if she was okay before Sona suddenly fainted.

.

* * *

.

Back at the ORC, everyone felt a little unsettled at what just occurred. Rias was once again watching the sunset from her usual spot, staring out the window nearest her desk. Akeno was sipping her tea on the couch, but anyone could notice the slight shaking her hand was making as she brought the tea cup to her mouth again. Kiba was leaning onto his spot on the wall, but he hung his head, his bangs casting a shadow over his eyes. Even Koneko seemed uneasy, her bag of sweets was empty now. Well, maybe not Koneko, but everyone felt a little worried.

Akeno was the first to speak up. "So he brings a Fallen Angel to the school. Knowing just how careful Issei must be to have eluded us for the past sixteen years, he must've told her to keep a low profile," she reasoned, trying to calm everyone's worries.

"That may be so," Rias replied, "but it doesn't change the fact that he's an even bigger threat to us now, somehow managing to get the girl who was trying to kill him to fall for him like that."

Kiba looked up. "Maybe she's still tricking him," he thought out loud, "maybe he still doesn't know."

"Not likely. He was very powerful and smart," Koneko added. "And I think he was the cause of the massive power surge a few days ago. It happened while I was watching them at the overpass, but I never thought that it was him."

Rias nodded. "Indeed, he would have known she was a Fallen Angel at first glance, and figure she was going to kill him," she said calmly. "He must have persuaded her, using some form of magic or spell…"

"Maybe the same he used on Sona?" Akeno asked.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"So what's the plan, Buchou?" Kiba inquired.

Rias sighed deeply, closing her eyes. "We wait," she responded, "but we can't let our guards down. No matter what type of convincing or persuasion, be it magic or begging in tears, we can't let him have his way with us as he did Sona. I fear he is even more sly and deceptive than that Fallen Angel."

.

* * *

.

"Bro, what do we do?" asked a teenage boy.

"I'm not sure," came the reply from another wearing glasses. "We can't really talk to him right now, not after what we saw."

"Yeah! Did you see his arms and his eye? Like something straight out of a comic book!"

"Don't be so enthusiastic," the other reprimanded, "besides, we were right in thinking that there was something off with the girl."

"I know, brosef. What was she, exactly? It seemed like a movie, she was making spears out of thin air and throwing them at Issei!"

"And not only that, what were they talking about? It sounded like a fantasy otaku's wet dream."

"And who was that shady dude, Mr. Blonde Bangs?"

"Let's just wait and see. But one thing's for sure – Issei is not who we thought he was."

"I-I'm a little worried, man. I don't want anything to happen to my friend"

" _Our_ friend," the one with glasses corrected. "Believe me, I'm worried too."

.

* * *

 **End of Chapter**

* * *

.

.

.

 **AN:**

 **{**

Thanks again for all the favorites, follows, and reviews! We recently hit 5,000 views, so I'd like to thank you guys for all the support you've given.

I know this took a while, but my aunt's settled in now, so I can resume updating daily. I'll even try to make up for lost time by releasing more than once a day, but no promises as the holidays are just around the corner.

Suggestions and criticism are welcome, but try not to flame me.

Also…

How was the semi-lemon? (I don't know what else to call it, really.) Yes, I introduced the beginnings of a harem here, too. But I'm also hinting at something that will come as a shock to you guys, at least, I'm going to try.

Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!

Peace out.  
\- Lord SS

 **}**


	5. 1:7 - The Fall

**AN:**

 **{**

You guys overwhelmed me with the amount of support you guys gave from my last chapter!

Thanks again for the reviews. So a semi-lemon is a lime? Okay then.

But for now…

Prepare your hearts.

PS: Still waiting for someone to give me that goddamned picture!

 **}**

* * *

Narrator  
 _Emphasis  
_ SPECIAL

"Talking"  
'Thinking' – if Issei, he could either be thinking silently or talking to Ddraig/Zecrow

 **"Ddraig Talking Audibly" –** Ddraig appears on Issei's left arm **  
'Ddraig Thinking' –** either silently or talking to Issei/Zecrow mentally

 ** _"Zecrow Talking" –_** Zecrow appears on Issei's right arm  
 ** _'Zecrow Thinking' –_** either silently or talking to Issei/Ddraig mentally

.

.

.

* * *

 **VII. The Fall**

* * *

.

"Hello, boy," he began. "My name is Dohnaseek, try to remember that when I kill you."

Issei sighed. Here he was, enjoying his sandwich. He looked up and examined his soon-to-be foe. Dohnaseek was a middle-aged-looking man with short black hair and dark blue eyes. He wore a pale violet trenchcoat over a white dress shirt with a matching ascot, black pants and shoes, and a black fedora. Issei finished the last two bites of his sandwich as Dohnaseek simply watched on, slightly annoyed at being ignored. His wings burst out of his back, and he launched himself into the air. He created blue light spears in his hand and threw it down at Issei.

The boy frowned. 'What did I do to be interrupted like this, at such a peaceful time,' he thought. He recalled coming here after school, wanting to think about his next actions and his plans. He had told Raynare to go on ahead of him, giving her the keys to the house and warning her not to cook or the house might burn down. She had resisted, of course, not wanting to leave his side. He had sat down at the fountain in the middle of the park, ignoring the signs that informed others that the fountain was out of order. He was eating a ham and cheese sandwich, with a sliver of lettuce. He smiled slightly, patting himself on the back for creating such a good sandwich. 'I wonder. If I added some mayo-'

"Don't say I didn't try to warn you," he started to mock as his spear was now mere centimeters away from Issei's face. Dohnaseek frowned – he was eager to have at least a fair fight.

The light spear hit the concrete of the fountain's base, but fortunately the fountain was drained of water after the incident yesterday. Dohnaseek turned around and was about to fly home, but was surprised to see Issei levitating in front of him, Boosted Gear and Gravity Gauntlet covering his arms. His eye was also that of a dragon's and was surrounded by metal scales of the same shade as the Boosted Gear on his left arm. "Wha-" Dohnaseek tried to ask.

Issei shoved his Boosted Gear deep into Dohnaseek's abdomen, ripping through flesh, bones, and vital organs easily, like a knife cutting through butter. He kept it there for a few moments, as Dohnaseek could only cough up a large amount of blood at the sudden fatal wound he just incurred. Issei smirked. "Dohnaseek, huh?" he nonchalantly spoke. "Yeah, I'll try to remember. But I doubt it."

 **[EXPLOSION]**

Issei landed on the ground, bringing up his Gravity Gauntlet and created a shield in front of him, a semi-circle of purple energy that he used as an umbrella as blood and viscera rained from where Dohnaseek was just seconds ago. Issei dismissed the Gravity Gauntlet, and used his now free left arm to get the unfinished sandwich from his bag and took another bite.

"What a mess," he remarked, slightly spitting out some of the sandwich still in his mouth.

.

* * *

.

The following day was rather uneventful, Issei waking up with Raynare tightly embracing him under the covers. She was snoring softly, and she was completely naked. Issei sighed, not because he didn't like it – in fact, he _loved_ it – but because now, he had to use a bit of his power in order to freeze her and slip out of her arm so that he wouldn't have to wake her up. He released Zecrow's grip on her and he headed downstairs to find that his parents were already gone. He prepared some omelets and some tea, and waited patiently for Raynare to wake up and come down.

Fifteen minutes passed, still nothing.

"Unbelievable," he muttered. He brought forth his Gravity Gauntlet, and said, "Mirror Image," and an illusion of himself appeared in a cloud of mist in front of him. "Go tell that lazy bum that breakfast is ready," he ordered it, and the illusion obeyed. He looked down at the sacred gear in his right arm – it's purple jewel wasn't glowing just yet. "You guys are still asleep, too?" he asked.

 **"** **I'm awake, Partner," Ddraig spoke up as he appeared on Issei's left arm with a bright flash. "What is it?"**

"Oh, I was just wondering where you guys have been. You didn't seem to say anything, even after I killed – _we_ killed – that fallen angel from yesterday," Issei spoke. "What was his name again? Doughnut something?"

 **"** **Dohnaseek. One of the fallen that were allied with Raynare in her efforts, remember?"**

"I really don't. So he was one of hers, huh? I wonder if she'll be mad if I told her I killed him."

 **"** **The fallen are not very sensitive about loyalty, otherwise they would still be angels."**

Issei simply nodded and Ddraig disappeared along with the gravity gauntlet. A few moments later he heard running and heavy thuds here and there as Raynare almost fell down the stairs. "Don't wake me up with your fucking illusions!" she yelled at him. "I almost kissed that one!"

'Wow, what a mouth she has,' Issei thought. "Sorry, but I was feeling lazy. I made breakfast for us though, so why don't you join me?" he greeted with a smile. "Besides, you can't go to your first day of school on an empty stomach!"

After a leisurely meal, Issei headed to the bath. Raynare got into the shower with him, much to Issei's surprise, but he didn't really contest her. While they were showering, Issei blushed and tried his hardest to keep himself from ogling her naked body, which was Raynare's true form. She only turned into her Yuuma form when she needed to blend in, like going to school. Raynare teased him throughout the shower, 'accidentally' backing up to him and nudging him with her butt, or by offering to wash his back with her breasts. This prompted Issei to berate her slightly, but Raynare simply giggled as she couldn't take him seriously with what was growing between his legs.

They set off to school a few minutes after that, walking together with Raynare wrapped around Issei's arm as usual. And, as usual, this caused a stir among the people who watched in horror as the couple passed by. It was no different in school. During their classes Raynare would sit next to Issei and would sometimes snake her hand onto his lap, massaging it slightly. His face broke into a panic every time, it amused her. But their classmates looked at them, their eyes red in hate.

Also, during the day, Issei ran into Kiba, who smiled at him and greeted him warmly. Issei let his troubles and worries subside as he wrapped his arm around Kiba's neck, engaging in the usual conversations that they had back then. Kiba reciprocated these conversations for a while, before he suddenly frowned and asked if Issei could take his arm off of him. Issei sighed slightly and complied, remarking, "It doesn't have to be this way." He walked away, slinging his bag off of his shoulder as Kiba stood there, mesmerized by the boy who got everyone in Kuoh all worked up.

The rest of the day went off without a hitch, classes being as boring as usual. Things got interesting when Issei was suddenly visited by Saji, who he greeted warmly. But Saji didn't seem to return the kind welcoming, and even slightly raised his eyebrow as he asked how Issei knew who he was. Issei smiled like a fool and scratched the back of his head as he replied, "I don't suppose you'll believe it was just a lucky guess?" Saji wanted to question him more, narrowing his eyes as he examined Issei. Then he announced that Sona and Tsubaki were waiting for him at the Student Council office.

They walked towards the office in silence, Saji not taking a very good first impression of Issei. They reached the office and Saji opened the door for Issei, but said that he was not allowed to be in attendance. Issei took a deep breath, and walked in.

.

* * *

.

Sona and her queen, Tsubaki, had been sitting quietly for the past hour. Sona had called for Issei earlier today but thought better of it, after all she is still the student council president and students' grades should always come first. When she dispatched Saji to get Issei, Tsubaki tried her luck again. "Kaichou, I don't mean to pester you, but do you think that you could explain to me again why we're doing this? I'm having a hard time trying to wrap my head around the whole ordeal."

Sona didn't bat an eye, her concentration still glued to the doors. "It's simple, Tsubaki," she began, "I simply want to find out what he did to me yesterday."

"So he _did_ do something to you!" Tsubaki lit up with anger.

"I feel that he had no other choice, he was backed against a corner by not only the Student Council but also by the Occult research Club," she reasoned. "Whatever it is he did I harbor no ill feelings, I merely want to understand how I let my guard down."

Tsubaki slightly calmed down, before asking, "Then, Kaichou, why did you ask that only we be present? Surely having Saji and the others here will stifle any plans of his to make another move."

"I fear that having more of us here would only make him run away further. No, we must be careful in dealing with this boy," she replied. 'He's like a gazelle,' she thought to himself. 'A beautiful, graceful gazelle-'

"Uhm, Kaichou?" her queen interrupted her thoughts, "if I'm not mistaken, you're blushing."

"O-Of course you're mistaken," Sona snapped back, "I have never blushed without the presence of my sister," she shuddered slightly at the memories of her sister's tormenting embarrassment.

Tsubaki wanted to question more, but decided against it, feeling that her king was starting to act up again, becoming defensive and raising her voice. 'This isn't like her,' she thought. She looked at Sona again, and was certain – her king was blushing. 'What on earth could make Kaichou blush?' she wondered.

Tsubaki frowned. "Kaichou, I trust you with my life. You know this, am I correct?"

"Of course," came the reply. "And mine with you."

"Then promise me that you won't dispense us for your own gain," Tsubaki hissed. "Don't make the same mistake as Rias."

Sona shot her a cold glance. "If you're inferring that I have taken a liking to the boy, you're gravely mistaken," she assured her. "I have always kept a professional mindset, yes?"

"Constantly."

"Then tone down the attitude."

"Gladly, as soon as you do the same-"

"That's enough," Sona stood. "Tsubaki, you are my best friend and my queen. I have no intention of fighting you," she sighed. "But if you must know, I experienced a sensation that I never have before. My heart rate escalated, I broke into a cold sweat, and my hands kept quivering."

Tsubaki had now laid aside every bit of resentment toward her king. "Kaichou, is there anything I can do to help?"

"For starters, you can help me narrow it down, before our guest arrives."

"Right. Would you mind recounting any other symptoms?"

"Hmm… my chest felt warm, my hands were sweating, my eyes kept reverting back to the floor, and my temper was short."

"Strange… and when did these symptoms manifest themselves, or were they constant?"

"No, they were definitely not constant," she answered. "They seemed to appear whenever I see Hyoudou. Or whenever he's mentioned, in fact."

Tsubaki made a loud thump as she smacked her palm against her forehead. "Kaichou…" she trailed off.

"Have you figured it out, Tsubaki?" Sona asked, slightly surprised that her best friend beat her to it.

"It's better if I told you after the meeting," she responded, just as a knock came from the door. "And it seems he's here already."

Sona hesitated for a moment, wanting to ask about what the whole phenomenon was about. 'But, perhaps it _was_ better to discuss it after the fact, in order to test if the symptoms return,' she thought. She calmly sat back down on her chair. "Come in," she said.

The door opened and revealed Saji and Issei. Saji made a slight gesture for Issei to come in and sit down, bowed, and made his exit. Issei tensed as he got closer and closer to the two officers at the desk, until he sat down. Feeling the soft cushioning of the couch made him relax a little. He tried to seem uninterested, but in truth he was curious as to why they would call him to the office, that had never happened before. Sona and Tsubaki walked from their place at the desk and sat down on the two cushioned chairs opposite the couch where Issei sat on.

"First, I would like to inform you that you are in no trouble, from me or from the school," Sona began.

Issei relaxed even more. "Good to hear."

"That being said, there is something that bothers me from our encounter yesterday," she continued.

'Crap,' Issei thought. "Oh?" he tried to play the idiot. "What do you mean? Was it Yuuma? She can be a handful, but trust me she won't do anything rash, I'll make sure of it."

"I'm glad to hear it, considering how she's a fallen angel," Sona jabbed.

Issei felt a sinking pressure in his throat and chest. "I-I see," he stammered, before managing a smile. "Well, guess I can't hide from you forever, now can I?"

Issei stood, and walked towards the window. Tsubaki was about to retaliate before Sona motioned for her to relax. "And what exactly have you been hiding?" Sona questioned. "That you somehow release more energy from your aura than even Rias' famed lightning queen? Or the fact that you somehow managed to convince a lowly assassin such as the fallen angel you brought here _not_ to kill you?"

Issei bit his lip. "Don't call her that," he mumbled.

"Oh? Then what would you prefer we call her? Fallen angel? Lying snake? Deceptive-"

"RAYNARE!" Issei yelled, his face covered with rage. "You can call her Raynare. And if I were you I wouldn't go down this road, Sitri," he hissed. He started taking steps toward the two, prompting Tsubaki to stand up, preparing for a fight. "You wanna know what I did to you? I got inside you head. With one look I broke all of your security. I forced my thoughts onto your own."

He kept getting closer, Tsubaki now readying her magic. She was frantically glancing between Sona and Issei, waiting for her king to give her the order. Issei got closer and closer, until he was now behind the very seat Sona was sitting in. He leaned down to her ear, shot Tsubaki a quick glance, and whispered into Sona's ear.

"Drop it. Even if I wanted to, you couldn't understand who I am. And if you insist on giving me this bullshit treatment, then I'll have no choice but to show you what I can do-"

Tsubaki interrupted him by hurling her foot toward his face, and Issei leaned back with it just a few centimeters from his chin. He used the motion to perform a full backflip, launching into the air gracefully. He planted his feet on the wall behind him, crunched up, and kicked off of it with full force, throwing himself at the queen. Tsubaki proceeded to summon her Sacred Gear, Mirror Alice, in front of her and prepared to use Issei's brute force against him as he came hurdling towards her. Issei smirked, and grabbed the top of the mirror, using it to vault himself over Tsubaki as she could only watch in shock at his reaction time. He swung his momentum, using the mirror as a hinge, and delivered a double kick to Tsubaki's back, launching her at the wall where he was seconds ago. Her Mirror Alice dissipated as she weakly tried to stand back up, clearly shaken by the attack. Issei walked up to her back calmly and manifested his Gravity Gauntlet. He used his middle finger to gently poke Tsubaki's nape, and she fell to the ground.

Issei reverted his attention to Sona, who was still sitting where she was and watching him intensely. Issei brought his arms up and dismissed the Sacred Gear. "Sorry, my bad, my bad," he began to apologize with a grin on his face. "Didn't mean to hurt her."

"It's quite alright, she deserved some form of punishment for disobeying me," she replied calmly.

"And where does that leave us?"

"Acquaintances."

"Acquaintances?"

"Yes," she answered, standing up and brushing away some of the dirt that had landed on her lap. "Frankly, I don't trust you, but I wouldn't say that your intentions are all evil."

Issei tilted his head to the side. "Then what was the point of all of this?" he asked sheepishly.

Sona smiled. "To see what you can do."

.

* * *

.

Issei dropped by the Occult Research Club room, intending to offer his apologies for the recent mess that he's made, and to explain himself. But no one was there, he made sure by using his Eye to peer through the walls. 'I wonder where they went,' he thought to himself as he walked home.

 **'** **They're probably out handling contracts.'**

'But wouldn't they at least leave someone to stay and look after the place?'

 **'** **Without you, they're short on hands.'**

'That makes sense. I guess.'

Issei started walking back home, the darkness of night beginning to envelop him as he walked the streets. At one point, he fault awfully eerie, as if something was off with his surroundings. He took a closer look and realized what he had just walked into.

"How are you still alive and where is Raynare?" questioned the Fallen Angel before Issei.

She was a tall and buxom woman with long, navy blue hair that obscured her right eye and brown eyes. Her attire consisted of a violet, trenchcoat top with a wide collar, a matching miniskirt, and black heeled shoes. The trenchcoat top was open at her chest, revealing her large cleavage and golden necklace.

Issei looked at her up and down for a few seconds, then turned around and kept walking.

"Why you little bastard," she said in anger. She manifested a golden light spear in her hand and launched it towards Issei, who simply sidestepped and kept walking. The fallen angel dashed in the air and appeared in front of Issei, trying to stop him from getting to the edge of the purple barrier she had erected before confronting him. Issei summoned his Boosted Gear and shoved her aside. The fallen angel tried to stab Issei with a spear from the back, but Issei sidestepped it easily once more.

"You little bitch, I'LL KILL YOU!" she shouted as she threw another light spear at Issei.

Issei finally stopped walking and turned around. Without even flinching he caught the light spear mid-air with his bare right hand. His blood started to ooze from the place where he held it, and in one swift motion he spun around, gathering momentum, and hurled the light spear back at the fallen angel. It hit her square in the stomach, making her curl up into a bloody mess on the road as she hit the ground. Issei approached her, wiping the blood from his hand onto a handkerchief. He had dismissed the Boosted Gear and was now looking down at the fallen angel at his feet.

"I'm sorry, I didn't manage to catch your name," he said nonchalantly.

"K-Kalawar-" she tried to answer, before Issei crushed her neck with his foot.

"Eh, I won't remember it anyway."

.

* * *

.

The next morning proceeded as usual, and they were out of the house ahead of time. They were on their way to school and were passing by a park, when they saw _her_. Raynare tensed and hesitated, but Issei marched on, even picking up the pace as he approached her. The girl was a pretty young girl with long blonde hair and green eyes. Her hair flows all the way down to her back, with split bangs over her forehead and a single strand sticking out from the top, sloping backwards. Her clothes were a dark teal nun outfit with light blue accents, a white veil over her head with light blue accents, a brown satchel slung on her right hip, and brown boots with black straps in an X-shaped pattern. She also wore a silver cross necklace around her neck.

She seemed to be searching frantically around her, looking at every sign and sighing in defeat. As Issei and Raynare got closer, the nun approached them and almost begged for their help, but Raynare couldn't understand her – she was speaking in Italian. Issei didn't understand her either, but smiled and closed his eyes for a bit.

'Yo, Ddraig.'

 **'** **Hm?'**

'A little help here?'

 **'** **Sure thing.'**

"…and I was just wondering if you could take me to your local church?" the girl's words suddenly started to translate in Issei's mind. "M-My name's Asia Argento."

"Hello, Asia," Issei spoke fluently in Italian. "My name's Issei Hyoudou. We would love to take you to the church… but you might find it a little empty," he explained. Raynare looked up at Issei with a quizzical look, she didn't know what Issei meant by that.

Asia looked at Raynare for a moment, before speaking up. "Oh, y-you don't have to, you can just point me in the right direction."

"Nonsense, now come," Issei assured her with a warm smile.

As they walked, Raynare couldn't shake this feeling of Issei hiding something from her. She clung onto his arm still, but there was an awkward feeling for the both of them. Issei and Asia seemed to talk on and on about what Italy was like for her and so on and so forth. Raynare felt a bit jealous, at being ignored by the one she loved and also not being introduced to the girl which, under different circumstances, she would be chaining onto a cross by now. Raynare also felt very anxious about coming near the church, her old home base. What will Dohnaseek say? How will Kalawarner react? And what about Mittelt? Questions plagued Raynare's mind.

'And what did Issei mean by 'you might find it a little empty'?' she thought to herself.

Along the way they passed by a park with an injured boy, who was crying on the ground. Asia disengaged from her conversation with Issei and ran to help the boy, healing him with her Sacred Gear, Twilight Healing. This came as no surprise to the couple who were escorting her, as they already knew what she was capable of.

When they finally reached the church, Issei bid Asia farewell, and the couple were off to school again. "We're going to be late," Raynare complained.

Issei looked at her with disappointment. He brought his hand up and waved it in the air in front of him, and a purple rift suddenly opened before them. Raynare was taken aback, but Issei stepped right through it. Raynare followed, and she found that they were at the back of the main school building, at the unused bathrooms. "We're here, so don't worry about it," he simply told her.

"If you could do that all this time then why have you been making us walk to and from school every day?" Raynare pouted. Ordinarily, it wouldn't work, but being in her Yuuma form, Issei couldn't help but find the action a little cute.

"I can't do that so often, it makes the dimension we're in unstable," he explained, "and it's hard enough already, since I told you and Azazel about what happened. And about that," he turned to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "What did we talk about?"

"If I tell anyone about it we're all going to die," dismissed Raynare, waving for Issei to get off her case.

"Good."

"And what did you mean a while ago? That the church would be empty? And not only that, why didn't we stop Asia from going there?"

"She'll turn up, eventually. The fedora dude and the blue haired chick are dead, so she should be fine. Until then she needs to see that the fallen angels are not her friends. Freed will do that for us."

Raynare's eyes widened with shock. "Y-You killed Dohnaseek AND Kalawarner?"

"Were those their names? I keep forgetting."

.

* * *

.

After school, Raynare met up with Issei, who was sitting under a tree in the school grounds. Everyone hustled around them to go home, but Issei simply stared into blank space – or so Raynare thought. As she got closer she realized that he was using his Eye to… she didn't know.

"What're you doing?" she asked him.

"Watching Rias and her peerage get ready for battle. I want to watch them in action again, just so I can see the way they attack," he explained. "I may be a little rusty, so I don't want to hurt them if it comes to the point where we have to fight. Knowing how they move lets me do that easily."

Raynare yawned. "How boring. They're not nearly as powerful as you, so why bother?"

"Keep in mind it's these devils that took you and your team down," reminded Issei.

"Fine," Raynare huffed.

They followed Rias as they hunted for the stray in an abandoned warehouse. Issei could see through the walls of the building easily but Raynare had to just sit around anxiously. Once the battle started, Rias was in her prime. She ordered everyone around in a tactical fashion, anticipating every move the stray would make and acting against it. Kiba and Koneko put up the main fight, and when the stray started getting agitated, Akeno started bombarding it with lightning strikes. Rias finished it off with a magic circle of her destruction power, wiping the stray from existence. "It's over," Issei remarked as he stood up and brushed his pants free of dirt. Raynare sighed deeply and stood up.

"Home?" she asked expectantly. She was tired and wanted to eat and sleep.

"No," came Issei's reply. "We still have something to take care of."

With that, Issei took Raynare's hand and they started walking. Raynare loved this intimate touch with Issei, and she wrapped her arm around his as she continued to lock fingers with him. They were walking down the street, now lit by overhead lights as the sun finally settled down and the moon was yet to fully shine. They talked on and on about many different things, Raynare even asking how quickly and easily Issei managed to kill off her previous subordinates. Issei chuckled a bit and told her that it was nothing more than a brief nuisance to him, like having to swat a fly. Raynare giggled and remarked that they never stood a chance.

They stopped in front of a house, although Raynare didn't know why. Issei looked at the address. "Seems about right," he mumbled and entered the house without knocking. Raynare's nose was filled with the stench of stale blood and rotting corpses. Issei didn't seem to flinch, and turned the corner towards the family room of the house. There was blood splattered and sprayed across the floor and onto some of the walls, and a body or two – Issei wasn't sure, the parts were so mutilated he didn't know how many bodies were used – in the corner of the room. They heard a maniacal laugh and turned to see Freed sitting on a chair in front of a fireplace. He was a young man with short white hair and red eyes. He was dressed in clerical clothing and had a disturbing smile plastered on his face.

"Hello, Raynare. So, how did he do it? Did he fuck you nice and slow, or did he ram it inside of you until you screamed?" he asked, Issei wincing at the pure vulgarity and perverseness of the stray exorcist. "Or maybe you let him in your ass to-"

"Shut the fuck up," Issei said sternly. Raynare transformed into her true form and readied her light spear. Issei brought out his Boosted Gear, which started flashing green repeatedly. "You deserved to die from the start."

"Oh, what a shitty attitude!" Freed exclaimed. "I'll enjoy ripping your tongue out!" he shouted as he brought out his gun and fired at Issei.

Issei dodged the bullet with ease, and ran at Freed bringing his fist up to bear. Raynare threw a spear at Freed, who manifested his light sword to deflect it. He laughed as he fought, Issei still running at him and Raynare throwing spear after spear at Freed. "Is this all you bastards have got to offer? Raynare, I'm disappointed! Why would you betray us for such a worthless shit stain as this boy?"

Issei was now a foot away from Freed, who swung at him with his sword. Issei ducked under it and punched Freed in his stomach, his force making Freed lift into the air. Issei brought his Gravity Gauntlet up and pointed it at Freed. A purple flash enveloped the room, and Freed was now suspended in the air, still moving back slightly, although everything around Freed seemed to be moving slowly. The exorcist watched in horror as his finger took almost seven seconds in order to finish curling up. He tried with all his will to fight, but Issei looked at him with disgust. Raynare also dismissed her light spears, knowing that the fight was over. Issei brought his Boosted Gear to point at Freed's chest, and the Sacred Gear started glowing green as Issei prepared to blast an explosion at him.

They heard a scream at the door, and Issei turned to see Asia at the doorway, her hands on her mouth. "Stupid bitch!" Freed shouted at her. "Help me!"

Issei couldn't bring himself to kill Freed in front of Asia, and he dismissed both of his Sacred Gears. When Freed dropped to the ground Issei gave him a swift kick to the jaw, and kicked away his light sword. Freed snarled, and shouted at Asia once more to come and help her. Issei look at Asia, wishing that she didn't have to see this. That's when a red magic circle appeared next to Raynare and Rias and Akeno walked through it, Kiba and Koneko right behind them. "Oh, wonderful, now even s-shitty devils are here," freed remarked, coughing up blood as he did.

Rias spoke up first. "Issei Hyoudou, would you mind explaining to me what exactly is going on here? And where are my clients?" she asked sternly.

"Over there," Issei pointed at the corner with the bodies. "If you're wondering, I didn't' do it. It was this freak," he nodded his head towards the stray exorcist at his feet.

Rias sighed. "Unfortunate, but what are you doing here?" Rias glanced at Raynare. "And with her? You must understand how shady and suspicious this all looks."

Chuckling, Issei replied, "It's only suspicious if you don't trust me, Bu-Rias," he corrected himself. 'She isn't my Buchou anymore,' he reminded himself.

That's when Freed made his move. He lunged forward, shouting in pain as he did, and reached his exorcist gun and pointed it at Asia. "Don't FUCKING move!" he yelled at them. "Or this little cunt dies! That means you too, time-manipulating freak!"

"Issei I must warn you that if you fight him any further I will take it as an act of terrorism against the fragile peace that the Three Factions have achieved," Rias warned. "Don't do anything stupid."

 ** _'_** ** _She's right, dear. Maybe we should withdraw for now.'_**

 **'** **Make a move and you'll be branded a terrorist by devils, fallen, and angels alike.'**

Issei swore. "Fine," he hissed, shooting an angered look at Rias.

Freed picked Asia up as a pink rift opened behind them. "Bye bye for now, shitty devils! Oh, and Raynare dear," he turned to his former ally. "Don't you ever show your pathetic face in the church!" and with that, Freed walked through the portal, Asia in his arms. Asia looked at Issei longingly, before closing her eyes and smiling.

Issei could only watch as they disappeared. "Right, Akeno, prepare to jump," Rias ordered as she turned around and started to walk away.

Issei grabbed her arm and held onto it firmly.

Koneko leapt at him, swinging a kick at his neck. Kiba charged at him with his sword, and Akeno readied her lightning. Issei snarled loudly, rage covering his face, and made summoned his Gravity Gauntlet. He snapped his fingers and a wave of purple energy burst from him, freezing everything around the room, even Raynare, who was now readying a light spear. Everyone gasped in shock as they found that they couldn't move, and Koneko was suspended in the air.

Issei looked down at the ground, letting his eyes be covered by his bangs. For a whole minute there was nothing but silence and rising tension. Rias spoke up first. "W-What is this?" she asked, panicked. "Who are you?"

"Don't make me regret not freezing your mouths, too," came his reply.

"What do you want?!"

"I want you to understand!"

"What do you mean-"

"BUCHOU!" Issei yelled.

Rias was speechless, shocked at being called Buchou by Issei. 'Who is this?' she asked herself.

None of the others dared speak.

Silence.

Issei sighed. "Forgive me," he began, his tone apologetic in nature. "I didn't mean to agitate you." He snapped his fingers once more and everyone's motion carried out, with Issei bringing his two arms up to block the attack of Koneko and Kiba. Koneko used his arm to kick off of him and flipped in the air, landing next to Akeno. Kiba backed off and sheathed his sword. Rias turned to face Issei, mixed emotions on her face. Issei simply motioned for Raynare, and when she came close to him, they were enveloped in a purple mist. When it settled, they were gone.

"Buchou," Koneko started, "who is this guy?"

"I wish I knew," Rias replied.

.

* * *

.

Issei headed to the park after that debacle, and as he expected he encountered Asia again. She tried to explain and ask questions about who he was when Issei decided that they should talk over lunch. And so they ended up going on a date, much to the displeasure of Raynare, who was stalking them in jealousy. After the date, Asia was once again fetched by Freed, who was now fully recovered, thanks to Asia's Twilight Healing. Issei wanted to free Asia then and there, he knew he could, but once again he decided against it. 'If I try to save her now,' he thought, 'Rias will never forgive me.'

Walking home, he was raking his brain, trying to figure out a way to save Asia. He knew the ritual would happen that night, and he was almost panicking at the thought of losing Asia. He eased slightly, knowing that Rias would revive her, but still, he was worried for the pain she would go through.

But first, he needed to convince Rias that saving Asia would be for their own good. 'Sirzechs!' Issei thought, realizing what he needed to do.

'Ddraig, Zecrow,' he called within himself.

 **'** **Hmm?'**

 ** _'_** ** _Yes, dear?'_**

'Can I tell anyone yet?'

 ** _'_** ** _Hmm, the dimension seems stable enough, though I would prefer you told someone who knew more or less about the implications.'_**

'Perfect,' Issei thought happily as he started running towards the ORC. Once he reached it, he burst through the door without knocking, prompting Rias and the others to jump up and go on high alert. "R-Rias," he stammered, "I need to speak with Sirzechs."

Rias couldn't respond for a moment. "I-I'm afraid I can't allow that, and even if I did, he is busy."

"RIAS!" he yelled. "Tell him it's the Sekiryuutei."

.

* * *

.

Issei burst through the church doors, eyes searching for Asia as he entered. The statues and monuments were shattered and broken, the pews were scattered about and a maniac stood in front of the cross. "And so the son of a bitch returns!" Freed yelled, Issei simply stared at the ground as he walked closer. "Want to continue our little dance?" Freed teased, but Issei just continued walking. "But this time, I'm ready for your bullshit!" the exorcist shouted as he attempted to reach for his gun. But before he could, Issei appeared in front of him, and Issei used his Eye of Draconis to stare deeply into Freed's mind. The stray exorcist couldn't react, move, or think.

He was being held in a trance by Issei, who simple muttered, "Fuck you," and a red flash appeared behind him. "Dragon's Gate!" he yelled, and a gate manifested behind him, its walls of fire opened to reveal a giant dragon eye staring at Freed. A loud roar ripped through the church and Freed yelped as he was slowly disintegrated by the vibrations and turned into a patch of dust particles which were then sucked into the gate, along with some debris from the church. The gate disappeared and Issei continued his march and entered the basement.

There, he saw another Fallen Angel performing the ritual to take Asia's sacred gear. This one was a girl with blonde hair styled into twintails and blue eyes. She wore a Gothic Lolita dress, which consisted of a black Lolita dress with white frills, a large black bow on the front, and a green jewel embedded on the collar, white thigh-high socks, and black shoes. She also wore a large black bow on top of her hair, making her look even more like a little girl.

"Y-You? How did you get past Freed?" she asked, panic dripping from her voice. "Deal with him!" she ordered the army of priests surrounding her and Asia.

The priests started to charge at Issei, but he simply brought up his Boosted Gear and said, "Hail the Emperor." A red and green shockwave enveloped the priests, and all of their bodies were crumpled and broken to bow them down before Issei, who jumped on one of them and then onto another, using them as stepping stones in order to reach Asia before she-

"Impressive! But it's too late!" Mittelt shouted at him. "They're mine!" she yelled in victory as she tried to slip the rings onto her fingers. "Now I will be unstoppable-"

She was interrupted by her head being crushed by a certain Boosted Gear.

The rings dropped onto the platform they were standing on as Issei released Asia from her binds. She was already dead, Mittelt's torture was many times worse than Raynare's treatment of Asia, and she broke Asia beforehand, draining her of any fighting spirit she had left. Asia was dying, and fast. Issei's tears started streaming from his face again – he couldn't stop her from experiencing the pain which killed her. With a pale face and a weak smile, Asia told him, "I-I never wanted to make you cry," she began in her sweet high-pitched voice. "Oh Issei, I'm sorry…Goodbye. Thank you for being my friend!"

And with that, Asia gave out her last breath.

Issei was enraged, but he wasn't too worried. "I'll see you again real soon," he muttered between his sobs. He picked her up and brought her outside the church, where Rias and Sirzechs were talking about something. As Issei approached with Asia in his arms, Rias looked at him and offered him a weary smile.

Issei froze. That smile. It had something in it. It wasn't the fact that she was happy, or that she was glad to0 see that he got out with Asia safely. No, it was something else. She was hiding something in that smile. Something that Issei has never seen from her before – it was fear. Fear of him. Fear of what he could do. He stopped and looked back at the church. Its roof was in half, the whole right side of the building was torn apart and crumbling. The priests screamed in agony as their bones slowly crumpled into a pulp. He looked back again at Rias, but her smile was gone.

"Rias," Issei began, "please, you have to revive her!" he pleaded.

Rias looked at him with a frown, examining his sincerity. She sighed as she reached her conclusion, and spoke.

"No."

Issei's eyes widened in shock.

"Normally, I would jump at the chance to add such a powerful healer to my peerage… but I don't trust you. We don't know who you are and we don't know what your plans are. I'm sorry, but I simply cannot allow you to further your plans upon us."

"P-Please," Issei began. "Don't do this. She didn't do anything!"

"It's not _her_ I have a problem with," Rias replied sternly. "It's _you_."

"No, please," Issei continued to beg. "She's just a friend! Please! I have no plans against you or Sona! Please, I just want to save her life."

"As do I, but I cannot jeopardize our situation any further," Rias responded, looking away. "I'm sorry."

Issei dropped onto his knees. Rias turned away, while Sirzechs continued to watch. Issei shifted his pleading to Sirzechs. "Sirzechs, you know who I am and what I've been through. I told you in the club room," Issei began. "Please, spare her."

Sirzechs sighed. "Yes, Issei, I know who you are and what you've done for us. And although I am grateful, I share my sister's concerns. It is far too compromising to have someone you know in her peerage, someone who would willingly follow your every command. I am deeply sorry, and I hope you can find it within yourself to forgive me… to forgive _us_."

Issei stood. He no longer begged and he no longer cried. "Where is Sona?" he asked in a cold tone.

"Don't bring her into this, Issei-" Rias began.

"SHUT UP GREMORY!" Issei yelled at her, making her stumble back in fear and revulsion. "Now, where. Is. Sona?" he pushed.

Rias could not reply, throat caught in fear. Sirzechs frowned, and turned to Issei. "She's in the Student Council room. You better hurry, before that girl's soul is taken beyond the River Styx."

"W-What do you mean?" Issei asked.

"Charon won't allow devils to reincarnate anyone who has already crossed the River Styx on his boat. We have a fragile relationship with Hades, and he does not take very kindly to us."

Issei tensed. "How much time do I have?"

"Considering she doesn't possess a fighting spirit, I'd say about four minutes."

Issei looked at his phone. '10:32,' he noted. He started to create a purple rift before him when Sirzechs stopped him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he warned. "Her soul may be saved but her body will be ripped apart if it enters a dimensional portal."

Issei's jaw dropped. "I-I won't make it!" he turned to his former king. "Rias, please!"

Rias could only bite her lip.

Issei dropped his gaze to the ground, his bangs casting a shadow on his eyes. "Remember this," he ominously told her. And with that, he started running. He looked at his phone again. '10:33,' he noted to himself. He set it to alarm every time a minute passes. He ran as fast as his legs would take him, but he was slightly exhausted from the amount of energy he dispensed in his previous battles. He passed the park. His phone vibrated briefly. '10:34,' he noted once again. 'I'm running out of time!' he yelled to himself.

Issei winced as his leg started cramping. "Damn you!" he shouted, exerting even more energy just to keep standing. His phone vibrated as he saw the school looming over the horizon.

'10:35.'

'Ddraig!'

 **'** **How can I help, Partner?'**

'Can I use my Balance Breaker wings?!'

 **'** **I'm afraid your body won't make it in its current state.'**

'FUCK!'

Issei entered the school and burst through the hallway doors. His phone vibrated again.

'10:36.'

'I still have time!'

He ran up the three flights of stairs to get to the Student Council office. "SONA!" he started yelling as he ran through the hallway. "SONA!" he shouted once again. At the end of the hallway, the Student Council doors burst open, and Sona stepped out. "SONA! You need to reincarnate her!" Issei yelled out. Sona took no time to think about it, she simply ran back and took a bishop piece. She started running back when Issei entered the office and-

Issei's phone vibrated.

He had lost her.

Issei dropped to the floor, sliding on his knees with Asia in his arms. "I-I'm so s-sorry." He bent over her corpse and hugged it tightly, crying onto her pale skin.

'10:37.'

.

* * *

 **End of Chapter**

* * *

.

.

.

 **AN:**

 **{**

Bet you weren't expecting that! But if you did, congratulations.

 **[SPOILER ALERT]**

Rest in Peace, Asia Argento

If you're wondering why I decided kill off Asia, it's because something needed to happen in order for Issei to realize that Rias and her peerage were _not_ his friends. In a way, I wanted to steer toward the direction of AU, and killing off a major and beloved character would certainly achieve that. Also, this is my frist time killing off a character in the series so far, but expect more to come. =(

Personally, I always thought that the character for Asia was a little… well, tedious. Yes, I love her attitude and her optimistic outlook in life (which is partially why I needed to kill her off), but in this world… Asia was just out of place.

For those of you who didn't like it, feel free to review and PM me with your concerns, but I won't suddenly change the story and cover up for my mistake. No, this is my narrative and I need to go with my gut feeling. But for sure Asia will play a bigger part now than she ever has before, because now her role will be like that of the Raynare's role in the previous timeline – the phantom that haunts Issei.

Take it easy, you guys.

Peace out.  
\- Lord SS

PS: As it should be obvious, Issei is _very_ powerful.

PPS: We just hit 100 Favorites and 120 Followers! Thank you so much for the support.

 **}**


	6. 1:i - Intermission

I'm on schedule for this story, hurray!

So my plan for this fic was that I would release updates in groups of 7 then take a short break afterwards. I intended to finish this first group before I went off with my family for the holidays, and I did manage to do so. We're going abroad and so I would like to enjoy the trip and not have to worry about writing for the moment.

But with every group of chapters I'll release a **Q &A** as well as a few statements if need be.

So here goes!

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 _[All questions are taken from Reviews and PM's]_

 **Q:** Will we see more of Zecrow's character development as well as her potential romance with Ddraig?

 **A:** Definitely. With the outline I have right now, Zecrow plays a huge part of it all. Also, the fact that Zecrow and Ddraig are being put in the background as of late doesn't mean that they're just going to stay as they are now. Their romance is also a large part of the comical side of this story, so I'd love to write more on that.

 **Q:** Will God ever step into the picture again?

 **A:** Seeing as how this whole fic is pivotal around what God did, yes, I'd say that He will make a reappearance. But I can't reveal too much, after all, this fic's large success is due to the surprise factor that comes with it.

 **Q:** Ophis is the girl that saved Issei. Does that indicate another romantic addition to the harem? Or maybe even Issei somehow teaming up with Ophis?

 **A:** It's hard to say. Truth be told, Issei doesn't know yet that Ophis was the one that brought him before God. Their meeting will be around the same timing as canon, but maybe a little earlier. I haven't gotten that far with the story yet, so I'll give it some thought.

 **Q:** As of now, how far have you gotten into writing the plot?

 **A:** I've planned out this story about as far as the end of the Excalibur arc of canon and the first meeting with Michael in canon.

 **Q:** How long can we expect this fic to be, or how far is your goal?

 **A:** My goal right now is reaching 100,000 words, and after that I'll see if I'm bored with it or still like it.

 **Q:** Will we see a glimpse of the alternate time that Issei left after he died?

 **A:** =) I can't say anything, I might reveal too much of my plot.

 **Q:** We saw a glimpse of Issei going crazy with power after he got that experience from God. Will that play a big role in the story?

 **A:** Well, so far we've seen Issei in 7 battles. The one with Raynare was obviously just child's play, being arrogant enough to play around with her. The one with Tsubaki he was trying to prove a point, but not really fighting to win. The rest were with Dohnaseek, Kalawarner, Freed, Freed again, and finally Mittelt and her priests. In those battles, we saw that Issei was very powerful, and hasn't even used his Balance Breaker yet. He was very cocky and over-confident with the way he took down Dohnaseek and Kalawarner, but when faced with the church, he was very determined to spend as little time as possible in trying to save Asia, hence the bull-in-a-china-shop sequence. But, as some of you have already pointed out, this behavior has caused a lot of problems in the present and in the future, even contributing to Asia's death.

 **Q:** Why is Zecrow another gauntlet? Wasn't she a pendant?

 **A:** Ahh, yes. All I can say [without spoiling something major =) ] is that Zecrow chose to manifest herself as a gauntlet, but she can be used in another form…

 **Q:** Now that Issei and Raynare are a couple now, where does that leave Issei's current goal?

 **A:** Issei is determined to reenact the timeline he left, because, in some ways, Issei always had feelings for Rias… but with recent events, I doubt that he'll feel the same way.

 **Q:** Will you follow canon events?

 **A:** Yes.

 **Q:** Issei has a lot of powers, would you mind listing some?

 **A:** Well, there's Ddraig's new abilities, which are Dragon's Gate and the Eye of Draconis. Then there's Zecrow's abilities, which are stopping time around a person [and choosing whether or not to stop the mind of that person], stopping time in his vicinity [a wave that expands from Issei's position], ability to hover, alter the gravity around him, letting him stand on walls and ceilings. Then there's her more interesting abilities, Mirror Image and Mimic [you'll see next chapter].

 **Q:** So Azazel knows of Issei's true identity, as well as Sirzechs. We saw how Azazel helped calm Raynare down when they were at the fountain, and I'm sure Azazel will help a lot in the future as well. But what's up with telling Sirzechs? They barely talked in the first place, and it didn't seem that Sirzechs really helped Issei.

 **A:** Issei trusted the Gremory's. So much so that he trusted that Rias would still reincarnate Asia. As for telling Sirzechs, he wanted him to brand the group of FA's at the church as the real terrorists, and obtain permission to rescue Asia without causing a disruption in the peace. Sirzechs complied, and brought along Rias as they observed Issei. This is a major plot point, but it helps explain the situation, so I'll disclose it here – Sirzechs wanted Rias and himself to be aware of just how powerful Issei is by watching him go to town on the church and its occupants.

 **Q:** Why didn't he let Raynare talk to and maybe explain/confess to Asia when they first met her?

 **A:** Ah, one of the 'plot holes' you guys pointed out. In truth, this isn't a plot hole, and I have a very important explanation for this. Issei loves Raynare, sure, but he doesn't quite trust her just yet. After all, he only knows so much about Raynare. Issei has always seen Asia as his anchor, the person he could always rely on and cry to. He doesn't share that trust with Raynare. Frankly, Issei wanted Asia to be with him as well.

As some of you have mentioned, Issei has a lot to do with Asia's death, mainly because he was banking too much on the fact that everything will play out like it did before. He was wrong, of course, because the people he trusted the most do not reciprocate his feelings. You have to understand that Rias is very analytical and critical in how she thinks. Remember her monologue right before the Rating Game with Raiser? She is a Gremory, and because of that title she has obligations.

Issei was also in the fault by not including Raynare in his plans. During the whole sequence in the church, Raynare wasn't aware at all about what was happening or that he had killed her subordinates beforehand. If Raynare had gone with Issei, maybe she could've done something. But Issei was so set on being the hero and thinking he could do it alone that he never stopped to think about the possibilities.

Also, he had many chances to save Asia even from the start, but again, he thought it would be better if it all just went according to the timeline before, because Asia would [ideally] turn into a devil. Think of it this way – why would he need to fix what wasn't broken? Issei wanted everything from before to happen again – be a part of the peerage, have a borderline harem, etc.

 **Q:** Will we see Asia again?

 **A:** =)

 **Q:** How will this leave Issei? Will he be a complete mess or will he find sanctuary in Raynare?

 **A:** Imagine the impact on Issei at Asia's death in canon for the first time. It was enough to make him break down into tears. Now imagine the second time she died. Issei had completely lost his mind, not even paying attention to Rias and his friends most of the time he was in Juggernaut Drive.

If Asia died a THIRD time in his arms, how do you think he would feel?

 **Q:** Why didn't Issei take the necessary precautions, such as asking Sona beforehand and telling Raynare about his plans to kill her former teammates?

 **A:** Issei's mindset that Rias would help her. To him, he needn't involve Sona in any way. Also, if you're wondering why Issei didn't use his cellphone to maybe call Sona for help, then you're an idiot – he didn't have Sona's contact details or anyone close to her. Remember that at this point he was a loner aside from Matsuda and Motohama.

As for killing Raynare's teammates, Ddraig falsely assured Issei that FA's don't care about loyalty, but in truth, if you looked at it seriously, the FA's are closely knit, having survived this long even if they were the most devastated race from the war.

 **Q:** Why was this latest chapter so rushed?

 **A:** I intentionally left many things unanswered and confusing. My style of writing hinges on the suspense build up and all the different factors that are seemingly minor but then come back as something extremely important. Believe me, this chapter wasn't in any way rushed. If it feels like it was lacking, that's because it _is_. If you cannot trust me enough to fulfill my duties as a writer then you shouldn't be here.

 **Q:** Has Issei learned his lesson?

 **A:** We'll see.

 **Q:** Will Issei still help with the Raiser arc?

 **A:** Yes, he will, but I can assure you, it won't be for Rias' sake. He will have his own motives.

 **Q:** How are Issei's romantic interests now?

 **A:** Rias is definitely out of the picture. Issei might help her indirectly with Raiser but Rias will not be his intention.

Akeno and Koneko are sort of an anomaly. It could go either way, but I love both characters so chances are they will still fall for Issei in some way, so stay tuned for that.

Raynare is definitely his main pairing as of the moment.

Ravel we'll hear more about during and after the Raiser arc.

Ophis is also a bit of a question mark, but will definitely step into the light at some other point in time.

Xenovia and Irina are also some of my favorite characters, and I will develop that romance with Xenovia as more of a comical side story more than anything. But Irina will have the most romance in all of this fic – she is my absolute favorite.

As for Sona, all I can say is that nothing is certain with her.

 **Q:** When is the next chapter?

 **A:** January 3 =)

[EDIT: Forgot to add these!]

 **Q:** How do you get your titles or where do they come from?

 **A:** The chapters are named after significant events in the Bible, some even direct quotes.

 **Q:** Why group the chapters by 7?

 **A:** 7 is God's number. Sorry, I'm a perfectionist.

 **Q:** What's the plan for Matsuda and Motohama?

 **A:** =)

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And now, a few statements.

Okay, so let me start off by saying that I have received tons of feedback on the last chapter, most of which are helpful and supportive, and some of which are criticism [which I was prepared for], and a select few royally pissed me off.

Guys, I'm open to suggestions and recommendations. I always am. But here's a reminder:  
Do not tell me to change the plot of a chapter I've already posted.

Also, if you're going to give me a recommendation, I would be more inclined to hear you out and consider what you have to say when it begins with: [Maybe you should do _this_ ] [Just wanna suggest doing _this_ ] [It would be great if you did _this_ ]

Rather than ones that start with: [If you don't do _this_ you have failed as a writer] [You're and idiot. You should've done _this_ ] [You people always do _this_ it's annoying]

Just putting that out there. =)

Yeah, you can probably tell there were one or two people that pissed me off with how they worded their response or how they presented their suggestions. If you want to rant at me, go ahead, but PM me. I don't want a rant to be posted along with the support I get from the people who appreciate my work and trust in me to fill any and all plot holes in the future.

I'll leave with that for now. See you guys in January, and I hope you enjoy your Christmas!

Peace out.  
-Lord SS

PS: It's been brought to my attention that Sona is referred to as "Kaichou," not "Buchou" like Rias.

PPS: I've gone back and proofread/corrected/updated all the chapters, but I'm not perfect so I probably still missed one or two errors.


	7. 2:1 - Coats of Skins

**AN:**

 **{**

So hey!

Releasing a couple of days late, had some trouble with the Fanfiction importing. I upload by copy-paste, as this retains almost all of my formatting, but whenever I would save the document the website would convert it into code, an issue I had earlier. Ended up having to re-type everything onto the browser itself, much to my annoyance.

Hope you guys had a fun time with the holidays! Unfortunately everyone's school/work will resume soon so not much time to write/read. Been having a blast since **SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan** started updating his HSDXD stories again, God those things are golden.

Uni starts back up again tomorrow, Wednesday, January 6. Can't really make any promises with regards to schedule but I will try to upload at least once a week and stay on track with my _groups of 7_ routine, as this coincides nicely with the timing of my pre-lims and minor exams.

But anyways, here's the first chapter of the Raiser arc! This chapter takes place the night before Raiser makes his appearance, the night where Rias should have come to ask if Issei could take her virginity. I know that in canon this takes place a day later or something like that, but I have to change things up a bit.

[HIGHLY recommended that you read the **Q &A** of the previous chapter: "0-Intermission1"]

 **}**

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Narrator  
 _Emphasis  
_ SPECIAL

"Talking"  
'Thinking' – if Issei, he could either be thinking silently or talking to Ddraig/Zecrow

 **"Ddraig Talking Audibly" –** Ddraig appears on Issei's left arm **  
'Ddraig Thinking' –** either silently or talking to Issei/Zecrow mentally

 ** _"Zecrow Talking" –_** Zecrow appears on Issei's right arm  
 ** _'Zecrow Thinking' –_** either silently or talking to Issei/Ddraig mentally

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 **VIII. Coats of Skins**

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[10:33 pm]

"Quite the character, that Hyoudou boy," Sirzechs remarked.

Rias simply looked down at her feet, allowing her bangs to ominously cast a shadow on her eyes.

The pair of redheads were standing under a tree near the abandoned church. By the looks of it, the building had been torn apart and gutted by several large holes and cracks along its wooden walls. Various religious artifacts and sculptures littered the floor, scattered across the scenery in pieces.

The moon shone brightly, illuminating the scene. Trees rustled with the breeze, their leaves giving a faint reflection of the moonlight. Only the sound of the trees filled the cool evening air. No more shouts, squeals, and screams of pain sounded from the depths of the church. Probably due to the fact that all of its previous occupants had been brutally massacred by a single person in the span of about four or five minutes.

"A-Am I the bad guy here?" Rias weekly asked as she looked up at Sirzechs, her expression was hopeful – no – begging to be reassured. She was biting her lower lip, her hands were playing with the hem of her skirt, and her legs squirmed with anxiety.

Sirzechs looked down at her and smiled. "A rebel group of terrorist fallen angels destroyed? I'd jot that down as a victory in my books any day," he began warmly. But almost as quick as it came, his smile vanished. "But this new predicament is quite troublesome… and we seem to have made things turn for the worst… no," he slightly shook his head, "that's an understatement. We have just _mortally wounded_ the Sekiryuutei. We betrayed his trust and ignored who he is and what he's done for us," Sirzechs said with a slightly worried face.

"What do you mean?" Rias queried, confusion taking over her expression. "Have we met him before?"

Sirzechs sighed. "I can't tell you. What I _can_ tell you is that at one point in time, you were very dear to him, even going so far as laying down his life for you several times," Sirzechs explained. "But not only that," he leaned forward, " _he_ was even dearer to _you_."

And with those ominous words, Sirzechs turned on his heel and started walking in the direction Issei ran off to earlier. Rias quickly composed herself again and jogged briefly to catch up with him. They walked together in silence towards the school, letting Sirzech's words sink in. Eventually they started talking again, about various menial things at first, then Sirzechs brought Rias' stress to bear.

"Raiser will visit you tomorrow," he spoke sternly. "Be ready. I'll send Grayfia to ensure things stay lenient."

Rias was gobsmacked. "W-What!? I thought he wasn't going to push for it for another week or so?"

Sirzechs sighed. "Yes, but with the recent turn of events, I had it hastened. I'm sorry, Rias, but I cannot ensure your safety at all times. I know that we haven't really agreed to their terms, but with his new promise of safety, I took it upon myself to ensure the deal."

Rias did not respond. Or rather, she couldn't. A tear escaped her eye, and she bowed her head as they walked. She knew it wasn't her brother's fault that he had to go behind her back and seal the deal himself. This is simply what had to be done, as a Gremory. Her entire life, she was treated as nothing but a tool in the system of twisted politics that went on in the underworld. This marriage wasn't the root of her problems – it was a symptom of it. The true problem was her name. She would never be called Rias. She will always be Rias Gremory.

As they approached Kuoh Academy, a bright light pierced the night sky. The pair looked up and saw that a ball of red and green energy waves was growing and growing as it consumed everything in its path. "What the…" Rias muttered before more of the school's walls were sucked into the ball of energy, turning into ash and dust as soon as it made contact with the sphere. Rias searched for the origin of the energy… and when she realized where it was coming from, she gasped and dropped onto her knees. "T-The Student Council…" she said weakly.

Sirzechs immediately sprang into action. He summoned his wings, large black bat-like appendages burst from his back. He lunged into the air and at the direction of the sphere. Once he got close enough, he lifted his arms into the air and summoned several large red magic circles to contain the ball of energy. It seemed to work, as the magic circles pushed inward and caused the ball of energy to slowly become smaller and smaller. But just as soon as he thought victory was near – the ball expanded, bypassing his magic circles and exploded with all of its energy, creating a glorious show of red and green fireworks to light the night sky.

Rias was blinded by the light, but as soon as her eyes could see again she saw her brother fall from the sky and hit the ground, skipping and sliding along its rough surface.

And the next thing she saw was the ground shaking beneath her as her ears were almost deafened by a loud sound. A sound that would strike fear into the hearts of anything, mortal or immortal.

A roar.

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[10:37 pm]

 _Drip._

Another tear graces her pale and lifeless skin.

 _"_ _Issei…"_ a sweet and serene voice reached out to him.

"A-Asia?" he barely said as he clutched her corpse in his arms.

 _"_ _You really should stop crying,"_ the voice warmly spoke.

 _Drip._

"Asia… I'm sorry," he hesitantly apologized.

"I-Issei? Who are you talking to?" Sona asked, slightly worried.

 _"_ _No, I'm sorry for making you cry,"_ the voice tried to comfort him.

"Don't be stupid! This… this is all my fault," Issei rejected.

"Kaichou, what's happening?" Tsubaki asked with a trembling voice.

 _Drip._

 _"_ _Oh Issei, I wish we could've been friends a little longer."_

"Asia… I do too," Issei begins to sob even more.

 _"_ _Really? Then… then why did you…"_

 _Drip._

 _"_ _WHY DID YOU LET ME DIE!?"_ the voice suddenly screamed, giving Issei a mild migraine.

"I-I'm sorry…" he winced at the harsh words.

 _"_ _Oh no, I'm sorry Issei, I didn't mean to lash out on you like that…"_ the voice hurriedly said.

"Kaichou!" Tsubaki said, growing impatient.

"Give him a moment, Tsubaki!" Sona hissed at her.

 _Drip._

"You're right… I could've, no, I _should've_ saved you while I could," Issei confessed.

 _"_ _I get it, don't worry. It's not entirely your fault…"_

"W-What do you mean?"

 _"_ _Rias… she let me die… no, she made you cry… and I'll never forgive her for that."_

 _Drip._

"R-Rias…" he mumbled under his breath.

"What? D-Did he just say 'Rias?'" Tsubaki asked, shocked.

"Rias," he spat.

 _"_ _Yes, Rias. She was supposed to be our friend, right Issei? Or was I wrong?"_ the voice asked slyly.

"Rias," he muttered once more.

 _Drip._

"RIAS!" he shouted again, anger and rage fueling his words.

 **"** **I, who is about to awaken,"** a voice bellowed from the Boosted Gear that appeared on his arm. The words echoed from the walls of the room, shattering glass and disturbing the air within. Strong winds entered the room as the windows gave way, and they carried faint voices that whispered various chants.

"KAICHOU!" Tsubaki cried out"

A purple flash briefly enveloped the room, then the Gravity Gauntlet appeared on Issei's right arm. **_"Ddraig! What are you doing!?"_** a frantic feminine voice emanated from the new gauntlet.

 **"** **Am the Heavenly Dragon who has stolen the principles of domination from God" the** other gauntlet's voice continued to chant as the whispers in the winds began to get louder and louder.

Sona could only watch in terror as energies began to siphon from the air around them and enter into the green jewel in the center of the Boosted Gear. Tsubaki tried to call out to her again, but the wind and its whispers deafened her. Tsubaki reached out to clutch Sona's arm, before Issei's right arm – covered by the Gravity Gauntlet – grabbed Tsubaki's hand.

 ** _"_** ** _Get help!"_** the feminine voice beckoned her.

Tsubaki glanced at Sona once more. It seemed as if she was being held in a trance. Her eyes were wide open, her mouth was agape but no words came out, and cold sweat began to gather on her pale skin. Tsubaki closed her eyes, and reluctantly ran to exit the room. "I'll be back," she muttered to herself as she ran down the hallway.

 **"** **I laugh at the 'infinite', and I grieve at the 'dream'"**

Issei's skin began to morph and his bones began to break and reassemble themselves.

 **"** **I shall become the Red Dragon of Domination"**

 ** _"_** ** _I will not allow it, Ddraig,"_** Zecrow warned. ** _"STOP THIS!"_**

 **"** **And I shall sink you to the depths of the crimson purgatory!"**

 ** _"_** ** _NO!"_** Zecrow shouted.

The Gravity Gauntlet's purple jewel glowed, and a purple flash of light burst from it. A ball of energy began to envelop Issei, and then spread further and began to envelop Sona and their surroundings as well. Suddenly a red flash burst from inside the sphere of purple energy, overpowering the purple color with its radiance. The sphere continued to expand, its colors started dancing with red, purple, and green.

The energy that Zecrow summoned seemed to battle over the Juggernaut Drive for power as the female dragon struggled to contain Ddraig's raw power.

At the apex of its expansion, it all suddenly collapsed on itself, shrinking to the size of a marble. Everything that was encased in the sphere disappeared, leaving a circular hole in the building. But just as fast as it shrank, the marble of energy suddenly burst forth and it exploded in its wake.

But in the midst of the thunder of the explosion, a roar ripped through the night sky, sending shivers down the spines of all those who heard it.

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[10:41 pm]

"KAICHOU!" Tsubaki shouted helplessly as she witnessed the explosion.

"S-Sona?" Saji muttered in shock as the orange glow of the explosion spread across his face. Strengthening his resolve, he ran forward, shouting back at Tsubaki to follow suite.

When they finally reached the clubroom, fire was eating away at the hallway which led to the door. But this time there was no door and there was no student council office – it was gone. A semi-circular depression etched into the building was all that was left. Fire continued its onslaught, bringing down what it could as it crept along the walls.

Tsubaki dropped onto her knees at the sight of it. She didn't seem to care about the fire that was inching nearer and nearer her feet. She simply stared in shock as tears started to well in her eyes, blurring her vision and flowing down her cheeks. Some of them fell onto the floor and extinguished a bit of the flames.

Saji, on the other hand, would not give up so easily. His eyes scanned the scene – his look darting back and forth, squinting to peer through the smoke – and finally he saw a slight reflection beaming at his eyes. His breath caught in his throat, realizing that he was looking at Sona's glasses. Searching the surroundings, he saw her arm, which was protruding from under one of the office couches.

Backing up a few steps, he started running towards the crater. He dodged and ignored Tsubaki, who was still in a state of shock. Jumping, he dodged the majority of the flames below him and he brought his arms up to a cross in front of his face, shielding himself. He landed on the floor below the room, fire all around him and chewing at his clothes. His skin started to singe and bubble as the fire had its way with him. He used all his pain to fuel his arms, and began to lift with all his might. The couch was particularly heavy, as one of the ceiling beams had fallen on top of it. 'Good thing this couch fell onto her,' he thought, 'or this beam would've crushed her.'

As the couch finally moved a few feet, he tried to pull Sona out from under it. His clothes were now catching fire, and his lather shoes started shrinking onto his feet. The fire licked at his skin, but so far, thanks to his being a devil, no wounds beyond healing emerged. He managed to get Sona's entire body out from under the couch, but due to the couch lowering, the ceiling beam now fell onto the floor next to them, slamming its weight and length right through the floor. The concrete below Saji's feet started to crumble, and he had to act fast.

Throwing Sona over his shoulder, he sprinted for the upper floorboards. Tsubaki was now leaning over the edge and extending her hand. Saji examined the situation – there were too many obstacles and flames to go back the way he came. "I'll find another way!" he shouted to Tsubaki.

With that, he looked around him, trying to figure out how he can get Sona to safety. 'It doesn't matter if I don't get out of here, as long as Kai-… Sona is safe,' he reasoned. His eyes set on the hole the falling beam had created in the floor. The beam was still there, fire crawling the length of its body. Saji closed his eyes. He knew that even if he was a devil, close proximity with those flames will probably scar him. He held Sona in the bridal position, and for a moment he gazed upon her face once more. He strengthened his resolve, and ran for the hole. He jumped up as he approached, curling his legs and bowed his head, trying to shield Sona as much as he can. His entire body was engulfed in the flames, but his clothes protected his body.

He landed on his feet, but he sprinted away as he knew it was unsafe to stay under that spot. Once they were safe, he realized that his collar was on fire. He struggled to tap it off but it only managed to spread it even more. Taking off his uniform shirt, the collar came into direct contact with his face, singing it. He yelped as he threw the shirt aside, cupping his cheek with his hands.

Tears started to well in his eyes from the pain. 'This'll scar,' he thought. Smiling, he slightly muttered, "Small price to pay," as he looked upon the face of the one he loved.

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[11:07 pm]

"What the FUCK did you do to him?" Raynare spat at Rias.

She had rushed to the ORC clubroom after she saw the aftermath of the explosion. Every member of Rias' and Sona's peerage was present, scattered in the room. Rias herself was sitting on one of the couches, resting her unconscious brother's had on her lap as he lay across the length of the couch. Akeno stood beside her and Kiba behind Sirzechs. Koneko was nowhere to be found, but everyone just presumed she was investigating the wreckage further.

On the couch opposite the pair of redheads lay Sona. Tsubaki was sitting beside her, as she could fit given that Sona wasn't as tall. The rest of Sona's peerage were huddled together in a circle behind the couch, murmuring and whispering about what could've caused all of this. One of them was Saji, who would occasionally glance at Sona and his face would brighten just a bit at seeing her safe. A burn scar rose from his right collarbone to his neck and just a little bit of his lower right cheek. Other than that, he was completely healed, which puzzled everyone – why did Saji heal almost completely and yet Sona, a pure-blood, has not even healed half as much as Saji?

Azazel had also showed up, worrying that more of his subordinates had gone rogue and tried to attack the group of devils. But he was relieved to hear that it wasn't of his kind's doing, but decided to stay and await Sirzech's awakening to question him further. Many of the devils questioned his true motives for being there, and they were all on high alert. But in truth, Azazel's ulterior motive was innocently simple – he wanted to find out how the Sacred Gears had managed to create a burst of energy enough to knock out a Maou. He sat on the desk chair that Rias would frequent, much to Akeno's annoyance as she was already particularly hostile against Fallen Angels.

And now the newest arrival had nearly broken the door's hinges as she barreled through and started shouting questions and curses at the group of devils. She only managed to get everyone to glare at her menacingly, except for Azazel, who merely chuckled and watched to see what she would do.

"You better watch your tone," Kiba warned as he stood between her and Rias, "or we might have to shut you up in another way." He summoned two swords in his hands and pointed his stance at Raynare, ready to strike her down.

The Fallen Angel in question merely scowled and drew out her light spear. She realized she was in her Yuuma form and quickly changed to her usual body, dressed in her leather battle clothes that revealed way too much of her skin. Her red light spear growled and sparked with power, sensing the presence of so many devils in its proximity.

Nearly all of the devils in the room got ready for battle as well. Saji looked particularly angry, his aura giving off enough killing intent to make even Azazel sweat a bit. Akeno switched to her shrine maiden outfit and the air in the room grew thick and humid as she gathered her elemental magic in her hands. All of Sona's peerage also drew their weapons or gathered their magic prowess, causing Raynare's eyes to twitch.

"Fuck this," she muttered, "I'm getting my answer!" she yelled.

Everyone was about to charge at her before Azazel suddenly appeared next to her, and he summoned his twelve black angel wings, causing a burst of wind to repel the devils. He mirrored their killing intent and uncharacteristically scowled, and his power aura alone could strike fear into the hearts of even the most powerful foes. After all, this was one of the few people who presumably had a hand in killing the mortal existence of God himself.

Tension-filled silence washed over the room. Not a single person mover, their breathing soft and silent. But eventually Rias gasped, breaking the silence and causing everyone to revert their attention to her. Sirzechs was now rousing from his slumber, and upon seeing the situation and Azazel, he laughed lightly, coughing towards then end. "As lively as ever, Azazel," he finally spoke. His warm tone caused everyone to lower their weapons and relax a bit.

Azazel smiled again, dispersing his aura and setting aside his drawn weapons. "I have to protect my kind, after all," he spoke warmly, "no matter how stubborn they are," he jabbed at Raynare, who slightly pouted at the words her former crush said.

"In any case," Sirzechs continued as he struggled to sit up, "it would seem that Issei did quite a number on me. Not a lot of people out there with energy enough to knock _me_ out," he emphasized the word 'me' as he acknowledged that he was ranked highly among the most powerful beings in existence. Not out of pride, but innocently humble.

"Onii-san!" Rias said as she hugged Sirzechs, nearly tackling him back down to his previous position.

Sirzechs laughed a bit and stroke Rias' hair gently. "Aww, did you really miss me that much? Well, news flash, but I'm not going to stop annoying you for the foreseeable eternity. Not to mention, Grayfia would almost certainly find a way to yank me out of the depths of the void just to kill me for leaving her alone!"

"Very funny, I'll keep that in mind," Grayfia uttered as she emerged from the ground slowly, her magic circle illuminating the room with a shade of crimson. Her appearance made Sirzechs slightly jump and beg for forgiveness, causing everyone in the room to laugh a little at seeing a Maou beg for mercy.

It was then that Raynare, who grew ever more silent and bowed her head, dropped to her knees, and buried her face in her hands. Her voice trembled as she tried to speak once more, "P-Please," she began as her voice caught in her throat as she fought back sobs, "I… I need to know. What h-happened to Issei? Where d-did he go? Did he say anything? Please! I need to know!" she almost begged as she finally gave up on controlling herself and went all-out crying towards the end.

No one could answer. They were all shocked to see just how attached she had gotten to Issei, even Azazel could not help but feel a little tug at his heart at the sight of her in such a vulnerable state. "You really do love him, don't you?" he asked her sternly.

Raynare gave no reply, but continued to sob and cry uncontrollably. Everyone realized that Raynare wasn't the bad guy here. She was just as confused as everyone else was, coupled with the fact that she was alone and hurting that the one she loved had seemingly died. They felt bad for her, but no one could offer her any words of reassurance. She just continued to cry as everyone reverted back to silence.

"I-Issei…" she began to mutter between sobs, "Baka. H-How could you just leave a g-girl like this?" A smile broke her tear-dripping face as she pretended to be speaking to him, trying to act a little more tsun to balance all her dere[1]. She chuckled at the thought, but she quickly reverted back to sobbing uncontrollably as this only increased the pain in her heart.

Azazel and Sirzechs glanced at each other, before Azazel sighed. 'Issei, you better come back, or this girl will never forgive you,' he thought. 'Not to mention, she'll probably try to kill every last one of us in this room.'

This proceeded for another thirty minutes or so, before Raynare finally got a hold of herself. She hastily apologized for her embarrassing actions, to which everyone just nods. She takes a seat near the corner of the room, near where Azazel sat at Rias' desk. Everyone more or less calmed down, and started to have a good time again, knowing that at least Sirzechs has somewhat fully recovered, although Grayfia was still giving him a hard time. Tsubaki even smiled, and Saji seemed to return to his usual self, as their peerage started building up a sense of hope that if Sirzechs survived, there was a slight chance even Sona could too.

.

* * *

.

[10:40 pm]

Issei floated in the void.

 ** _"_** ** _Issei, can you hear me?"_**

No answer.

 **"** **Zecrow, there's no helping it. He's completely exhausted and I do-"**

 ** _"_** ** _And whose fault is that!?"_**

 **"** **I was simply reacting to his emotions."**

 ** _"_** ** _You were putting his life on the line!"_**

 **"** **Hardly, seeing as Issei is more than powerful enough to sustain Juggernaut Drive for at least three hours."**

 ** _"_** ** _I am not referring to that! So he got into Juggernaut Drive. What then? That Maou would have fought back with all his might to protect his bitch of a sister."_**

Ddraig scoffed. **"I do not fear such a lesser being as that devil."**

 ** _"_** ** _And how about three more of those devils of the same caliber? He is a Maou after all, the fellow Satans and their respective peerages would have fought as well."_**

 **"** **Okay, fine, I admit, I made a mistake. But the other option would have been to vent all his rage and grief into his soul, but that would've killed him."**

 ** _"…"_** Zecrow gave no reply for a moment, before sighing. **_"This boy is too powerful even for us to control."_**

 **"** **True, but I admit that without you things would be a lot harder,"** Ddraig said thoughtfully.

Zecrow brightened. **_"Oh?"_** she replied, taking her usual seductive tone. **_"Could it be that you have developed feelings for me again Ddraig? I wouldn't mind if you would want to relive all of our memories together…"_**

 **"** **Don't push it, woman,"** Ddraig warned. **"I swear, I try to compliment you and you immediately try to take advantage of me again,"** he hissed.

The words seemed to hit Zecrow hard, as she remained silent for a long time. Or a short time, no one knows, for in the void all aspects of space and time are irrelevant[2].

 ** _"_** ** _Was that how you saw our time together?"_** she finally spoke, **_"That I was just 'taking advantage' of you?"_** she asked. Her voice seemed to have a little more emotion to it, rather than her usual hollow and seductive tone. It hinted a bit of sadness, and what seemed like… regret?

 **"** **Wasn't that the case?"** Ddraig replied almost instantly, not paying any attention to her voice. **"That** ** _was_** **your job after all. These emotions of mine used to be so delicate and volatile. I fell for your trickery expectedly easily."**

Again, Zecrow paused. **_"D-Draig… are you saying… what I think you're saying?"_** her voice hesitantly asked, **_"You loved me?"_**

 **"** **Yes,"** came the answer. **"I truly did, and I thought it was mutual. I even got rid of my harem for you. But alas, it was all a hoax, an illusion that we were in love-"**

 ** _"_** ** _I love you,"_** Zecrow interrupted.

 **"** **Yes, you mentioned that,"** Ddraig replied without thinking, **"but like I said, it was all fake and-"**

 ** _"_** ** _No, Ddraig. I love you. Now."_**

Silence.

Rumbles and muffled ambient noise surrounded the source of the two voices. Issei's body was drifting through the emptiness that only dragon spirits have been known to inhabit it. His uniform was tattered, almost torn apart from the Juggernaut Drive's transformation. His two Sacred gears – the Boosted Gear and the Gravity Gauntlet – were plastered on his arm, and its center jewels glowed as the two dragon spirits encased within thought and spoke just moments before. But as for the moment, the jewels dimmed, as neither of them felt comfortable enough to speak.

Around Issei's figure were broken pieces of furniture, scaffolding, and many other objects from the wreck. Both couch chairs of the student council office were floating nearby, as well as a portion of the coffee table. But the main couch was nowhere to be found, surprisingly. What seemed like an entire wall and floor was also near Issei, who was still unconscious.

Occasionally some objects would collide, but they sometimes they would bump each other and move apart, and sometimes the objects would just pass through each other. They seemed to phase by each other without breaking and just continue on its journey. But this wasn't surprising, as matter was irrelevant in the void. A painting was propelled towards Issei after hitting another object, but it passed right through his body.

After what seemed like a few hours of silence, Issei finally showed signs of life. His body moved and his mouth let out a soft grunt. His eyes opened slightly and beheld his surroundings – the objects and the nothingness that reached out into eternity. The horizon was a colorful display of black, grey, purple, and golden yellow. The colors danced together and sometimes blended together, creating shades of the two colors and patches of bright light.

The two dragon spirits noticed his awakening and greeted him. The usual "How are you feeling?" and "Are you hurt" phrases were asked, and Issei dismissed them all, assuring them that he was feeling fine, just a little tired and drained.

"But I don't get it," Issei spoke, "if I couldn't even use Balance Breaker while I was… running… then how could I suddenly use Juggernaut Drive?"

 **"** **Juggernaut Drive is fueled by more than strength or power. It is fueled by emotion."**

"But wasn't my 'emotions' while trying to save…" Issei winced slightly, "trying to save A-Asia… weren't those enough?"

 **"** **No. Balance Breaker requires power and a certain amount of enlightenment to be unlocked. You have not achieved it yet in this life – you have not needed it before – and activating Balance Breaker at your state back then would have done a number on your body."**

 ** _"_** ** _Issei, I may not fully understand your feelings, but you have my deepest sympathies."_**

 **"** **Partner, before we do anything else,"** Ddraig began, **"do yourself a favor… and let it all out."**

Issei closed his eyes, and his face suddenly crunched into a pained grimace. His mouth started shouting and crying out, with enough power that it forced some of the objects around him to float away. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes and soon they were flowing out of them like a waterfall. The droplets of tears formed floating blobs of salty water and drifted away from his face.

Issei cried for days. Or, you know, seconds.

Then a thought occurred to him. He suddenly stopped crying, his tears flowed no longer, and his face brightened up into a smile. He chuckled lightly at first, then he broke into full-blown laughter.

 **"** **Partner?"** Ddraig asked.

 ** _"_** ** _Issei, dear?"_** Zecrow queried.

"It's just that, I made this such a big deal! I mean, I almost killed everyone, even myself, by going into Juggernaut Drive! Haha! The thought of it embarrasses me so much!" he shouted happily. "I'm so stupid! HAHA! I can't get over it. Oh, man. If Matsuda and Motohama could see me then, they would never stop teasing me!"

The dragons worried that their host had finally given in, and had gone insane.

"Oh come on guys! Cheer up! I mean, nothing of value was lost, right?[3] Sure, Asia 'died' but she's not gone! There must be a way… to bring her back… to be with her again… right?"

Ddraig wanted to tell him the truth. But he couldn't bring himself to. **"Y-Yeah. Sure."**

 ** _"_** ** _Ddraig…"_** Zecrow whispered.

"Of course there is!" Issei shouted again. "You wait Asia, I'll save you someday!"

After he had settled down a bit, Issei finally asked, "Wait, where am I?"

 ** _"_** ** _Glad you finally noticed!"_** Zecrow chimed, trying to change the subject. **_"I transported us into my little portion of the void before Juggernaut Drive fully took control of you. This was kind of my home for a while, so sorry if it seems a little messy,"_** she joked.

Issei laughed for a bit, "But what else got transported here?"

 **"** **Just a few things that you should ignore. That… and** ** _her_** **,"** Ddraig finished as he forced the Boosted Gear to move on its own. The fingers pointed in the direction of a broken portion of a wall. Just as Issei was about to question Ddraig's sanity, something phased through the matter of the wall. Or rather, _someone._

Sona floated through the wall and was headed straight toward Issei.

Her hair was disheveled, her glasses were missing, and her clothes were partially torn and burnt at some places due to the energies Issei released. Her beautifully radiant skin was almost untouched however.

"How the hell do I go back now? Everyone must hate me. Can you just transport me and her?"

 ** _"_** ** _Ideally, yes. But given that everyone there may be out for your blood for what you just did, it would be better to devise a plan first."_**

"Oh, I think it's time!" Issei said excitedly. "Been waiting to use this. Mimic!" he shouted.

.

* * *

 **End of Chapter**

* * *

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.

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 **AN:**

 **{**

A bit of a slow paced chapter, I know, and it isn't as long as the last chapter (to be fair "The Fall" was 8,000 words), but it's still fairly lengthy.

In any case, it set the scene for the coming Raiser arc, and established a few of the recurring themes throughout the arc, such as the SajixSona romance (which trust me it's not going to be as simple as it sounds) and the DdraigxZecrow (holy shit I can't express just how excited I am to write more about this). But all in all, this chapter was all about perspective.

I had to add timestamps before each scene, as I did a massive skip to allow the whole "void" sequence.

Again, sorry this came out two days late, but anyways, hope you enjoyed it!

Peace out.  
\- Lord SS

PS: Apparently there's a problem with the Review system? I haven't posted anything as of the moment so no reviews have come, but just in case, PM me your reviews if you have a suggestion or correction. Or, you know, criticism. =)

 **}**

 _References:_

 **[1]** – "all tsun and no dere" is a phrase I see quite often in rom-coms, as well as "why don't you try to be a little more dere" or "her tsun was overpowering her dere"

 **[2]** – reference to Ant-Man, which was surprisingly (for a Marvel movie) somewhat scientifically accurate, or as much as it could anyways, without mentioning too much of quantum physics that would've put any highschooler to sleep

 **[3]** – common trashtalking phrase in games such as Dota 2; usually said after one of your teammates (who is doing pretty badly) dies and no one else did


	8. 2:2 - Promise of a Savior

**AN:  
{**

Yo, been a while, hasn't it?

A month, actually. Long story short, got confined in the hospital because of a shattered shin bone, which resulted from a stampede after a fake bomb threat was posted on our uni website. Thankfully, the funding was partly covered by my health insurance and the rest was paid for by the administration of my uni. Currently back home, just booted my computer. I could've tried to write using my laptop in the hospital but I also had to study for my midterms (which just passed), because even if I'm confined to the hospital I don't want to fall behind on my uni.

In the meantime, I just want you guys to know how much this story's been blooming and flourishing over the past weeks. Not a day goes by without at least five or six new followers/favorites, and it really helps to know that people are waiting for me and supporting me. This fic really skyrocketed in the two months that it's been up, way more than I originally had thought it would.

But with fame comes… well, for a lack of better terms, complaints. Which aren't necessarily bad – in fact, I welcome suggestions so that I can improve. Most of you praise my courage and bravery for killing off such a major character, and also agree that she didn't exactly fit the universe. Some also continuously tell me that I should bring her back, since Asia was also an important character. Nearly all of you tell me that my story is dark – very, very dark – which I am somewhat proud of, since it's such a waste to watch such a beautifully constructed universe used as nothing but a comedy – ecchi – harem. And of course it is dark! I mean the most innocent person just died!

Or did she?

Joke, yeah, she did.

 **OR DID SHE?**

Anyways, I have to be honest, looking at the plot I made and was so excited to write on, I'm somewhat bored of it. I read a lot of manga while I was confined, specifically I finished **The World God Only Knows** (amazing rom-com with just a taste of fantasy, truly amazing and funny as hell). I got a lot of ideas, focusing more on the romantic side of things, and I'm going to incorporate that into this story. People have always said that RiasxIssei is overused, but as one person said (I don't remember his/her name) nowadays **everyone** is saying that and RaynarexIssei is used more often. Let me just make this clear – _this is NOT a RaynarexIssei fic._ Not even close.

With that said, I thought I might let you guys know in advance… I'm going to write another HSDxD fic. This one's going to be centered on a very – and I mean, very – different Issei, stemming directly from his birth… as a child of an angel and a fallen angel. Impossible? Ridiculous? Maybe. But hey, that's what fanfics are for, right? Don't expect this story to come out sooner than mid-April, which is the end of my current Term of uni.

Big developments in this chapter, so at the end of it I'll explain some of the more controversial things. Enjoy!

PS: Added a **[SOUND_HERE]** and a **_[SOUND_HERE]_** for sound effects from the Boosted Gear and the Gravity Gauntlet, respectively. i.e. **[EXPLOSION]** or **[BOOST]**

 **}**

* * *

Narrator  
 _Emphasis  
_ SPECIAL

"Talking"  
'Thinking' – if Issei, he could either be thinking silently or talking to Ddraig/Zecrow

 **"Ddraig Talking Audibly" –** Ddraig appears on Issei's left arm **  
'Ddraig Thinking' –** either silently or talking to Issei/Zecrow mentally  
 **[SOUND_HERE]** – sounds from the Boosted Gear

 ** _"Zecrow Talking" –_** Zecrow appears on Issei's right arm  
 ** _'Zecrow Thinking' –_** either silently or talking to Issei/Ddraig mentally  
 ** _[SOUND_HERE]_** – sounds from the Gravity Gauntlet

.

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* * *

 **IX. Promise of a Savior**

* * *

.

First, silence.

Then, faint rumblings.

She opened her eyes, then instantly shut them once more when the purple light surrounding her blinded her with its radiance. She tried to sit down and rub her temples – she had a massive headache – but she soon found out that there was no ground under her feet. Her clothes felt light and her neck felt breezy. She opened her eyes once more and this time the light didn't pierce her head, allowing her to take in her surroundings.

Gasping as she did so.

 ** _"_** ** _Please don't be too startled, dear,"_** said an ominously feminine voice which seemed to come from every direction, **_"and don't try to do anything stupid, you'd just be wasting your time."_**

Of course, Sona could only ask, "What is going on here?"

 **"** **Do you not remember?"** asked another ominous voice, this one masculine and resolute.

"Given the state of my surroundings, I'd say that a little memory loss is the least of my concern," Sona stated, referring to the debris floating around her.

The feminine voice merely sighed and explained where they were, how they got here, when this all happened, and why she was there. Sona took it all in, quietly analyzing the details around her, from the pieces of the furniture from her office to the entire walls and floors of the building she was in a few minutes ago. She closed her eyes as she tried to stifle her headache, to no avail.

 ** _"…_** ** _which brings us to our current predicament,"_** the voice finished.

"And what has Issei Hyoudou have to do with all this?" Sona asked, rather calmly. "Your explanations did not add up. You mentioned an explosion and trying to save me as well as everyone else around us, but the source of which you failed to mention. As a matter of fact, I distinctly remember Issei Hyoudou being in my office when this happened," she continued, "and please do not try to lie to me again, it's almost pathetic how easy it is to distinguish when you are lying."

No reply came.

For a long hour, no voices sounded and no words were exchanged. The rumbles of the space they were in – a pocket in the void, as the voice had tried to describe it – were the only sounds that resonated around Sona.

She grew tired of waiting and opened her mouth to speak once more when she tried to push up her glasses, but realizing that they were missing she asked, "Where are my glasses?"

 **"** **Little girl, I don't appreciate the tone,"** replied the male voice.

"And I don't appreciate you belittling me. Whatever entity you may be, harboring me here against my will can and will be branded as terrorism by the house of Sitri, and swift justice shall be brought to your soul by Serafall herself… I almost pity your fate," she spat in rapid succession, her words rivaling the noise of machine gunfire.

The masculine voice let out a hearty laugh. **"I'm stricken with fear, little girl, but believe me when I say that your little family of devils are nothing but flies in my path. I have sealed the fate of many such devils, all arrogant and underestimating me,"** he hissed. **"And now look at what happened to them – oh wait, you can't… they're too dead for that."**

Sona could only ball her hands into fists as she held back tears of rage. "I'm having no more of these outright insults to the honorable deaths of our ancestors. Who are you to say such profane and, might I say, outrageous lies? What is your name, I might spare you some dignity as I write it into the book of all those who died against the hand of-"

 ** _"_** ** _Enough already,"_** the feminine voice interrupted her tirade. **_"Dear, my name is Zecrow, and the one you are challenging is Ddraig."_**

Sona gulped.

Then gulped again.

"T-The Red Dragon Emperor? And… the Black-Winged A-Assassin?" she muttered shakily.

'What is it that Saji always says in situations like this?' Sona thought, 'ah, that's right.'

"What the fuck?"

.

* * *

.

Issei felt… strange. No, conflicted is a better term for it.

He knew it would be rather difficult at first, but being transformed so suddenly into the body of Sona was challenging at the least. His head felt itchy and hair was prickling his neck. He felt lighter, shorter, and weaker physically, but in terms of magic prowess it was more or less the same, although he felt that the body had never used some of the more advanced techniques Sona could be using.

He had taken slight peeks at his surroundings, the ORC room, and was quick to analyze the situation he was in. He saw Raynare and Azazel talking in the corner of the room, noticing the dried tear stains on Raynare's face and the uncharacteristically serious expression that Azazel was wearing. He seemed to be handing her something red, but he couldn't see it too clearly. He dismissed any thought of using his Eye of Draconis, as this would blow his cover.

He also noticed how nearly all of Sona's peerage were huddled in a group around him, some sitting on the floor and leaning against the couch, others standing on either side of the couch. All of them were laughing and smiling cheerfully, drinking tea made by Akeno, and occasionally making worried glances at So- Issei.

Sirzechs and Grayfia were still going on with their banter, causing Rias and her peerage to lau-

Rias.

Just the sight of her nearly triggered Issei's Balance Breaker. His entire body shook as he tried to remain calm. His fists clenched until his knuckles turned white and he broke into a cold sweat. His heart beat with rage and it only got faster and faster. Of course, this didn't go unnoticed.

"Kai…chou?" Tsubaki's voice resonated from above Issei.

Directly above Issei.

Proximity – dangerously close.

It slowly dawned on him. This soft feeling on his nape and head. The smooth and warm surface his neck has been lying on. Issei nearly burst into the first nosebleed he's had in a while.

His head was lying on Tsubaki's lap.

And directly east from his head is the holy of holies that, should he violate in any way, would result in his death, Sekiryuutei or not.

.

* * *

.

"How bold of you," commented Sirzechs, "I hadn't realized how high your affinity was for this Sacred Gear."

"God handled most of the basics," Issei explained. "More importantly, can you stop talking to me? The urge to punch your precious little face grows with every word that shoots out of that shithole you call a mouth, and I can't guarantee that I'll be able to stop it," Issei rapidly hissed with malice.

Sirzechs simply smiled and turned his head to his wife, Grayfia, and whispered, "Feisty, eh?"

"I can assure you, my power is more than enough to stop it," Grayfia retorted calmly, proving that even with that pokerface she adorns all the time, she can still be extremely intimidating. Her hair started to float gently as her aura contracted and her power started emanating from her.

Issei could only smirk and turn his gaze to Sirzechs with a "you gonna do something?" look, which prompted Sirzechs to chuckle slightly and lay his hand on his wife's shoulder, getting her to calm down.

"Now where were we-" Issei began.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Azazel laughed out loud, his body hunching over as he grasped his abdomen with his arms. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he said as he composed himself once more, "I just couldn't hold it in any longer. To think a conversation between the Sekiryuutei and a Maou could be this comical. It's almost a shame Michael isn't here becau-"

Grayfia cut him off with a swift slap to the face.

Issei rolled his eyes. "Anyways, if you don't mind, I'll bring _her_ back."

He got up from his position on the couch and stood in front of it. He walked a bit to a part of the room clear from any people, and checked to make sure that they weren't conscious. "Zecrow, you sure you got them all?"

 ** _"_** ** _Why of course, dear. All of them are suspended in limbo,"_** Zecrow replied as she appeared on his right hand.

"Okay. Is _she_ ready?"

Ddraig materialized on his left hand. **"Yes. Can we get a move on? This pest annoys me."**

Issei made no attempt to reply. Instead, he held his right hand – with the Gravity Gauntlet drawn – in front of him and chanted, "Knock, and it shall be opened unto you."

 ** _[TEAR]_**

The air in front of Issei's arm contorted and started to wave around erratically. Slowly, a small crack appeared, and it slowly enlarged vertically, so that the bottom reached the floor of the room and the top was well above Issei's height.

Issei brought his left hand up as well and slowly inserted both his hands into the crack. With a little resistance, his fingers were dug into hit. Out of curiosity, he peeked around the crack and noticed that his fingers weren't showing up on the other side. He went back to his previous position and started to pull the crack apart, in a motion he sees a lot in movies where the character pries open the doors of an elevator.

The tear offers little resistance, and after Issei had opened the crack wide enough for him to fit in, purple and golden light burst from the tear and illuminated the club room. On the other side was the silhouette of a person, who floated closer and closer to the tear until it reached its hand out and grabbed onto the side of the tear, and yanked herself through it. But the sudden change in gravity caused her to stumble and feel light headed, and Issei caught her on his chest and arms.

"Zecrow," Issei muttered.

The tear quickly shut, almost startling Issei, and the crack shrunk in a reversed motion of how it appeared earlier.

Silence once again filled the room, which is surprising, considering three of the most powerful beings in the universe were currently standing ten feet away. They were all thinking the same thing – that maybe there were _four_ powerful beings in this room, as they all looked on in awe at Issei.

"He's going to be a handful," Sirzechs whispered to Azazel, "are you sure you can handle it?"

"Positive," the Fallen Angel replied, "but how long are we going to keep Michael out of this?"

The Maou thought for a moment. "The sooner we explain things the better," he finally replied. "But right now the situation has to be controlled."

Azazel raised an eyebrow. "Situation?"

Grayfia decided to pipe in at this point, "Riser Phenex is coming."

Azazel let out a long, drawn-out sigh. "This is going to be fun."

Meanwhile, Sona muttered to Issei, "I appreciate the help, but I _strongly_ suggest letting go of me now."

Issei chuckled. "Don't lie to yourself. You like it too, don't you?" he asked as he looked down at her.

Sona's face burnt with a blush as she replied, "D-Don't be foolish. How could I possibly enjoy this? To even assume as much is an outright insult to me and my nam-"

"Yeah, yeah," Issei mumbled as he push her gently away. "You don't have to be so tsun[1] all the time."

Sona's blush grew warmer. "How annoying. Is this really this generation's Sekiryuutei?"

"The one and only. I see Ddraig and Zecrow explained things to you?"

"Yes, but you are still extremely immature."

"Thank you, better than being so uptight all the time."

"And what exactly are you trying to say by that?"

"I thought you were smart enough to deduce that on your own. Was I wrong?"

"Tch, are you trying to offend me?"

"That was my intention, yes."

"Since when did Issei Hyoudou become smart enough to use words outside of perverted contexts?"

"Around the same time I fell in love with you."

Sona coughed in surprise, causing Issei to giggle a little.

"Hehe. Got you there, didn't I?"

"How could you joke about that?"

"I saw it in a movie once[2]."

Sona smirked. "I didn't think you watched anything other than porn."

"Now that's just hitting low, even for you."

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

 ** _"_** ** _Issei, I can't hold this state for a long period without damaging their vital organs,"_** Zecrow chimed in, interrupting the banter that Issei and Sona have been making.

Sona took a look around and noticed that, indeed, everyone was frozen, including her peerage and Rias' peerage. She then noticed that Sirzechs and Azazel were watching them with a smile on their faces, whilst Grayfia simply looked on with her usual blank expression. Sona blushed even more and bowed to them as an apology, trying to dismiss her embarrassment.

"As much as I'd love to keep talking with you, we have to get this over with," Issei spoke sternly, leaving no trace of the playful tone he had earlier. He then turned around and walked away from Sona, heading to the three other conscious occupants of the room.

"I'll need you to go back to your positions before I froze time in here. And try not to act weird afterwards, okay?" he ordered them in a stoic voice.

The three shuffled back to their positions and gave Issei the green light to proceed. He looked over his shoulder and said, "Yo, you okay? You mind coming here?"

Sona realized that she had been standing there like a dimwit this entire time. Her eyes blinked twice before blushing again, and she lowered her head in embarrassment. 'What's wrong with me?' she thought to herself frantically. 'What is this feeling? Why am I so impressed and at the same time intimidated by him?'

She walked towards him slowly, and Issei grew impatient, so he grabbed her shoulders – making her gasp at his warm, soft hands and yet strong and stern grip – and pushed her down onto the couch. Sona looked up at Issei, her face covered in a crimson blush, and asked as her voice trembled, "W-What are y-you going to do to m-me?"

Issei smiled warmly, melting Sona's heart and making her internally swoon. She never realized just how masculine and handsome Issei was until now. "Is this the part where you tell me to 'be gentle'?"

Sona quickly let out a "tch" and looked away from him. Issei released his grip on her and chuckled slightly, before walking to the door and opening it. Sirzechs, Grayfia, and Azazel watched on without saying anything.

Issei stopped there for a moment, his hand on the door, without moving or talking. After a few seconds he finally exited and closed the door. The second he did, everyone unfroze.

"Kaichou…?" Tsubaki asked once more. "Kaichou!" she yelled as she hugged Sona.

.

* * *

.

Issei stood there, door behind him, for a while.

He slowly backed into the door and leaned against it, then let his legs relax as he slid onto the floor.

 **'** **Partner?'** Ddraig asked, worrying.

'Just a little fatigued, is all. It may be Zecrow's ability, but it's still my energy that's used to sustain such a large freeze field for such a long time, and keeping so many minds in a state of limbo,' came Issei's reply.

 ** _'_** ** _We did all that you asked, dear,'_** Zecrow reported, her thoughts joining those of Ddraig and Issei.

'Thank you. We only have to be here a little longer, I promise.'

 **'** **What exactly are we doing here again?'**

'Waiting for a certain Grilled Chicken[3] to arrive."

A few minutes later, a loud noise could be heard from inside the room, and the faint rumbling of voices and movement stopped.

"Ah, that must be him," Issei spoke out loud, standing up. "I'll give them some time."

A faint conversation could be heard on the other side of the door. One voice definitely belonged to Rias, protesting the arranged marriage. Another belonged to Sirzechs, trying to keep the situation under control. And the last belonged to none other than Riser Phenex.

Issei smiled slightly as he remembered him. He was a tall and handsome young man in his early 20's with short blonde hair and dark blue eyes. His outfit consists of a burgundy blazer with gold embroidery on the right with matching pants and black dress shoes. Underneath his open blazer is a white dress shirt that is not fully buttoned, giving a slight view to his chest. 'Typical wannabe-cool-guy,' Issei thought.

After a few more moments the conversation continually got louder and louder as the parties involved started arguing. Even Sona decided to join in, neutrally defending Rias' rights as well as the practicality of the arrangement.

"Okay, this is getting out of hand," Issei muttered to himself, before opening the door once more and stepping into the room.

Everyone once again stopped their conversation and turned to Issei, all of them in shock – even Sona, Sirzechs, Grayfia, and Azazel – that Issei Hyoudou had returned, after the uproar he just caused. Immediately, Saji stepped forward, preparing to attack Issei. The rest of Sona's peerage followed suit, as well as Kiba, Koneko, and Akeno. Rias couldn't do anything to stop her peerage, but Sona spoke, "No," and her peerage looked at her with disbelief.

"You're joking, right?" Saji was the first to protest. "He nearly killed you."

"He has his reasons," Sona met Rias' gaze with her own, "trust me, he does."

"But-" Tsubaki started.

"I said no!" Sona shouted back at her. "I thought I trained you all to be more disciplined in front of such esteemed individuals. You all embarrass me," Sona hissed as she walked past them and towards the door. She stopped next to Issei, and said, "We're leaving. Let's go."

She proceeded through the door that Issei had already opened, and her peerage followed, their heads hung low in shame. Issei slightly smiled. 'Smart of her to put up that act to not get involved in this,' Issei thought.

Once the door closed, Riser decided to speak. "So _this_ is the little twat that's been causing you so many problems, Sirzechs? Doesn't look like much of a challenge to me."

"I'd prefer you use my name, asshole," Issei spat.

Riser's expression changed from suave to pissed-off in record time. "How dare you speak to me like that? Who do you think you are? I am a member of the Phenex-"

"Do you devils always proclaim your status to everyone you meet? Kind of arrogant, if you ask me," Issei shot a question at Sirzechs, who merely smiled in reply.

"I-Issei, don't-" Rias tried to speak to him.

Issei's sarcastic expression also disappeared, leaving behind one of pure anger. "Don't. Talk. To me. Ever."

Rias retreated back to her seat on the couch, a small tear rolling down her cheek. 'I just wanted to do what was right,' she thought to herself. 'Why do I feel like the wrong one here?' She thought back to her brother's words. '…at one point in time, you were very dear to him, even going so far as laying down his life for you several times. But not only that, _he_ was even dearer to _you_.'

'Just who is he?' Rias pondered. Her peerage did the same, and all of them remained silent.

Azazel spoke up next. "I believe these matters do not concern me or my subordinate here," pointing at Raynare, who was still in shock at seeing Issei alive and well. "We will be taking our leave."

Azazel took Raynare by the arm and almost dragged her out of the doors. "Issei…" was all that Raynare could mutter as she passed by him on the way out.

"Sirzechs," Issei began, "I want to make you a deal."

"Oh? And what would that be?" the Maou replied.

"I will challenge this," Issei glanced at Riser, before turning to Sirzechs once more, "this pampered idiot to a Rating Game."

Riser laughed hysterically. "You need to be a devil to participate in Rating Games, and who are you to challenge me, you little twat?"

Issei charged at Riser in lightning speed and threw a punch into his abdomen, sending the Phenex stumbling backwards, as his fist engulfed in flames, preparing to counter-attack Issei.

"Why you little-" Riser began.

"Enough," Grayfia announced, and both parties ceased their fighting.

"Go on," Sirzechs told Issei.

"Have Rias fight Riser first. She deserves a chance to fight for herself," Issei explained. "And if she wins, you and I won't have anything to talk about."

"And if they lose?"

"Make me a devil. A Knight piece would do."

"Ambitious, asking the Maou himself to grant you such a wish. And what will you do in turn?"

"I'll take on Riser's _entire peerage_."

.

* * *

 **End of Chapter**

* * *

.

.

.

 **AN:**

 **{**

Alright!

A bit shorter than the others, I do apologize.

First of all, yes, Sona was told Issei's backstory as the Sekiryuutei, but not the entire "time-travelling" backstory. Just the story until this point – including how Rias let Asia die, which is why she shot a glance at Rias when she was talking about Issei having his reasons for what he did.

Mimic is an ability to disguise oneself as another person. In this case, Issei disguised himself as Sona. Why? So that when he returned, he wouldn't be immediately placed under questioning and having to fight his way out. He disguised himself as Sona and pretended to be passed out in the fire – so the person Saji saved was actually Issei disguised as Sona.

Once Issei knew he was safe, he froze time and placed their minds in limbo ( **LIMBO** , from here on out, will be the state of mind that is caused by Zecrow's power that results in the person being unconscious while frozen, not taking in any memories. In this state, their body is placed into a state similar to that of death, wherein the vital organs stop functioning. Prolonged exposure to this status could rupture vital organs and can be fatal. Refer to "In the Beginning" [Volume 1, Chapter 4] for an example of this as Issei used it on Raynare.)

This, of course, does not affect people with enough power, which resulted in Sirzechs, Grayfia, and Azazel to be conscious, and could even move and speak. Sona was not affected by this because she was not in the proximity when the field was produced.

Let me also say this. This is NOT a SonaxIssei exclusive story. This is also NOT a RaynarexIssei story. The harem at the moment is uncertain, but I will try to have the list down by the time we go into a second intermission. RiasxIssei is still viable, but is a long ways down the road.

NOTE: When Issei said he was in love with Sona, it was a **JOKE**. He's not really in love with her. At least not yet ;). Raynare is still in love with Issei and Issei is still in love with Raynare, but something bad always happens to romantic relationships… really, really bad.

The banter style I used for Sona and Issei is patterned after the banter style found in **Oregairu** between 8man and Yukino.

Now down to the important part of this story. Issei offering to become a devil. I know what you're thinking – what a waste. He could be so much more. That's true, but I have big plans for Issei that'll only work if he has his own peerage, so he has to be a devil. And the angel card system won't work either… you'll see why.

That's all for now. Review for suggestions, corrections, or ranting.

Peace out.  
\- Lord SS

 **}**

 _References:_

 **[1]** – again, a reference to the title "tsundere" usually given to girls in Japanese culture; if you don't know what it means, then Google it

 **[2]** – phrase is commonplace for most romance flicks

 **[3]** – nickname given by Issei himself to Riser; not sure if he has given this nickname at this point in the story, but I used it anyways since it's **so good**


	9. 2:3 - Cain and Abel

**AN {**

Whattup fam!

Yeah, it's been a while, my bad. I didn't even finish reading the HSDxD LN's yet. **YET**. I will soon, hopefully.

For those of you who have supported me through all this, thank you so much! We broke through 500 favorites and 600 followers recently, and I couldn't be happier that people are enjoying my work! Or crying over it, either way works I guess ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Also, I've decided to include questions from PM's and Reviews at the bottom **AN** (PM's will be anonymous), so if you asked me a question I might answer it down there. I do this because around 20+ people have asked me the same question: _"Will Asia be coming back?"_

To which, the reply, for now, will always be: :)

By the way, I updated my name again (apparently someone wanted my name really, really badly) so I just changed it to the way you pronounce, letter by letter, my nickname, "anj" – ayyenjay. With that, I've also changed my account picture to a drawing I made.

Oh, and since I was in Photoshop anyways, I also updated the cover art of this fic! Check it out, it's pretty lit.

Anyways, enjoy!

 **}**

* * *

Narrator  
 _Emphasis_  
SPECIAL

"Talking"  
'Thinking' – either thinking silently or talking to inner beings (such as Ddraig/Zecrow)

" **Ddraig Talking Audibly"** – Ddraig appears on Issei's left arm and center orb glows  
 **'Ddraig Thinking'** – either silently or talking to Issei/Zecrow mentally  
 **[SOUND_HERE]** – sounds from Boosted Gear

" _ **Zecrow Talking Audibly"**_ – Zecrow appears on Issei's right arm and center orb glows  
 _ **'Zecrow Thinking'**_ – either silently or talking to Issei/Ddraig mentally  
 _ **[SOUND_HERE]**_ – sounds from Gravity Gauntlet

.

.

.

* * *

 **X. Cain and Abel**

* * *

.

"Issei… motherfucking… Hyoudou…"

Raynare's voice cracked through the evening air. Her cold voice made the night seem colder than it did in winter. She stood there, in front of the door to her 'house' with her arms crossed. Issei gulped as a shiver crawled down his spine. He had never thought that he'd be afraid of Raynare's Yuuma form. He realized that he froze and continued to walk towards their door – towards her – all the while looking away and scratching the back of his head.

"H-Hey, Ray-Ra-" he began.

But of course, he didn't finish.

He was prepared for it, or so he thought. He had known that she'd be mad, enough to at least punch him or kick him. Or both. He knew that the moment he got home, this'd happen. 'Oh well,' he thought, 'it's nothing I can't take, it's just a punch or a slap or-'

Her lips finally rested on his, latching onto his lower lip with hers. Issei was surprised – after all, he had expected her to be mad… who wouldn't, after that greeting? But why is she kissing him now? He looked at her face, and surprisingly it had tears gathering in their corners. He stared on, mesmerized at how cute she was right now. Then one of the tears flowed down her cheek and landed on their lips. He could feel the salty taste interrupt the sweetness coming from her mouth… man, she was good at kissing. 'Well, she is a fallen angel, after all,' he thought.

Eventually Raynare parted from him, panting slightly. Issei understood, though. She had come onto him with such passion, that he was almost suffocated. For some reason, she was especially clingy in those few moments, almost as if she wasn't the same person. If it were any other time, she would've definitely punched him by now, at the very least. Once, she beat him half to death for leaving her alone in a mall as a prank – 'Never again,' he thought as he shuddered from remembering. But that aside, Issei was really surprised that she hadn't hit him yet. Maybe something's wrong? Is she sick?

"Yo Ray-Ray are you oka-" he began.

But of course, he didn't finish.

Raynare, in a split second, transformed into her true form and threw a gutter punch into his stomach. After he bent over in pain, she grabbed him by the collar and threw him behind her, onto the steps of his house. He tried to stand up, but she immediately grabbed him again and threw him into the house. She closed the door behind her and stepped onto Issei's back.

Now pinned, Issei was still grunting from pain as Raynare performed a scissor kick to his ribs, exerting just enough force to make it bruise but not enough to break anything. This caused Issei to face up again, but he didn't even have enough time to react as she grabbed him by the collar and threw him against a wall. Issei struggled to keep his legs under his feet, using the wall that was now at his back to support himself, but Raynare summoned a light spear and used it to pin his shirt against the wall, narrowly missing Issei's neck.

Holding the spear in her right hand, she was about to punch him with her left but stopped midway. Every inch of her body wanted to punch him – hell, maybe even two – but she stopped. A pain pierced her heart. A deep, prickly pressure that was building up in her chest. She looked at his face, expecting a look of disgust, hate, or anger… anything that looked even slightly hostile.

But instead, he was looking at her with one of admiration.

His eyes were soft and warm, and his eyebrows were drooping to the side. Not a single wrinkle of anger, nothing. His mouth was edging upwards on both sides, creating an unbelievably handsome smile. That was, until his lips suddenly parted as he coughed up blood, quite violently as he did so. But right after he finished, he smiled again. He didn't even push her away, he didn't wipe the blood. No, instead, he let it flow down to his shirt, leaving a crimson trail down his chin.

His expression suddenly changed to one of concern, and he tilted his head slightly, which made his cheek come into contact with the light spear, burning his skin slightly and causing him to wince. She wanted to laugh, but instead of laughter coming out, her throat tightened and it came out as a sob. Her eyes widened, and she felt something wet crawl down her cheek.

Ah.

"Ray…" he finally spoke, "you shouldn't cry. It ruins that pretty face of yours."

Raynare couldn't respond, but instead hung her head low. Why was he so nice? Even after she beat him up and hit him selfishly… no, why was she even doing this? He had probably just gone through something really hard, based on the reactions of everyone back at the ORC. The fact that he stayed and had a private conversation with a Maou and that gay blonde guy – he was gay, right? He looked gay… But back to the point, Raynare felt another pain strike her chest. Another tear flowed down from her eye, as she smiled slightly. 'How pathetic of me, to fall for this guy,' she thought to herself.

But Issei was still concerned. "Uhm… I'm sorry, for leaving you like that. I'm sure you were worried for me, so for that, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you alone like that, I should've told you, and I should really depend on you more… that's what you wanna hear, right? I'm so-" he frantically apologized.

But of course, he didn't finish.

"Baka," was all Raynare muttered before she planted her lips on his once more.

.

* * *

.

Issei and Raynare spent the next few minutes kissing and embracing each other passionately at the doorway, until Issei's parents came home and interrupted them. After that, they went up to his room, but they had no intentions of going as far as intercourse. Issei sat at the head of the bead, and Raynare sat near him.

"What happened, Issei?"

"…What do you mean?"

Raynare sighed. She didn't want to bring it up, but she had to. "Asia…?"

"Ah."

"I-Issei?"

"Asia was… killed because of me."

"…"

"I tried to save her. I wanted to. I knew what was going to happen and what needed to be done. But I just…"

Raynare could only hold Issei's hand as he continued.

"I wanted to do it my own way, you know? I was too greedy… I wanted the best of both timelines, where I was with you and Asia, together we would be living here happily…"

"…"

"I was a coward, too. I was too scared to do anything that might change how things became last time. I just wish… I should've asked for your help. Or anyone's… this would've been so much simpler."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because… because…"

"…because?"

"Because in a weird fucking way, I wanted to save her alone, and be her hero all by myself."

"…"

"I wanted her to look at me and smile… and say that if it weren't for me, she wouldn't be alive. You know how good it feels to be told that you made a difference in the world? That you were a hero? Shit! I just want to make a difference! I thought I finally could, with this new power…"

"Issei… there's no harm in asking for help…"

"I did… a little too late. They… they didn't even help her! They did nothing! THEY WATCHED HER DIE!"

"C-Calm down…"

"ASK FOR HELP?! THEY SHAT ON ANY HOPE I HAD OF SAVING ASIA! IT'S THEIR FAULT! THEIRS!"

"Issei, you're scaring me…." Raynare whimpered.

Issei was brought out of his rage by the sight of Raynare tearing up, cupping his hand with both of hers and placing it on her chest. He looked at the mirror in his room and saw that his eyes had changed into…

"I-I'm sorry," Issei said as he hung his head, reverting to normal.

"It's fine, Issei… I want to know, too."

"She died… thinking that I was her hero… when I was the one that let her die. I know it. If I had done something sooner, we wouldn't have had to rely on those fucking devils… but I didn't. I shouldn't blame them… I know that. But it just hurts me and angers me that even when I explained everything…"

"I'm sorry, Issei. I should have tried to reach out to you. I could feel you struggling but I was too proud to ask you. I wanted you to come to me… to depend on me. I didn't want to come off as needy or desperate, or clingy. I'm sor-"

Issei kissed her once more, briefly.

"It's not your fault, Ray…" he said with a smile.

"I-Is there anything we can do?"

"Haha…"

"Issei?"

"Of course there is… there has to be…"

"…"

"Right?"

Raynare hugged Issei until he fell asleep, crying into her shoulders as his tears started to fall and wouldn't stop. The moonlight shone through his window and lit up every tear as it rolled down his face and onto Raynare.

One was hurting, the other guilty. Both were broken.

"I love you… know that I'll always be here for you… even when you do stupid shit like this," Raynare muttered into Issei's chest.

Issei smiled at the comment. 'Yup, this is why I love this girl,' he thought.

"I love you too," was all he could reply before both fell asleep.

.

* * *

.

As expected, Rias and her peerage were left no choice but to engage Riser and his peerage in a Rating Game. Rias and company spent a few weeks preparing and training in the mountains, doing anything they could to get ready. They made strategies, planned attacks, everything.

But somehow Issei knew for sure that they would lose.

The odds were against them, even in the last timeline. Riser had many tricks up his sleeve that were both dirty and unexpected. His peerage outnumbered Rias' and had more experience with Rating Games.

Issei couldn't care less about that, though. Because right now, he's facing his greatest enemy…

"…and from there, we transpose all terms of x to the left side, and all constants to the right side. Now simplify both sides of the equation, and solve for x by removing the coefficient and…"

Algebra.

'God… why didn't you give me super intelligence or something!' Issei thought.

School went by normally, with the only difference being the absence of Rias and her peerage. Issei was struggling with his studies, and he had no one to help him because Raynare was busy with kendo.

Yes, she joined the kendo club.

Issei protested at first, saying she didn't need to, but Raynare insisted that she needed to train harder to protect him. He couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of her trying to protect him, but he appreciated her feelings and didn't argue any more.

Matsuda and Motohama are acting as if Issei was never their friend, with them ignoring him and all his attempts to talk to them. Issei sometimes catches them glancing at him with suspicion in their eyes, but he could never figure out why.

Murayama and Katase from the kendo club with Raynare have, unsurprisingly, continued to brand Issei a pervert, which Issei never found the initiative to prove otherwise.

Aika also attends class with Issei, but she is a perverted introvert that nobody talks to. Issei can't help but feel a slight pain in his chest when he sees Aika all alone, with the absence of Asia.

Raynare was also transferred to a different class because Sona felt she was too volatile and unstable to be placed in the same room as Issei, much to Raynare's annoyance. But when Sona mentioned her reasons, Tsubaki couldn't help but giggle and look away, causing Sona to blush.

"Oh Sona, you're just jea-" Tsubaki tried to say, but was interrupted by a swift punch to her stomach, causing her face to turn blue and fall to the ground.

"Sorry about that," Sona coldly said, "Tsubaki seems to have caught a fever. If you'll excuse us," she said while dragging Tsubaki away.

Issei could only pray for Tsubaki's soul.

Although Tsubaki and Issei are on friendly terms after seeing Sona hold him in such high regards, Saji and the rest of her peerage were hostile. They still disapproved of Issei and were confused as to why Sona considers him an ally… and Saji is even more infuriated by Sona's obvious crush on him.

So, in the end, Issei was alone in the classroom. This went on for about two days before Issei just couldn't stand it anymore. 'I was given a second chance, not going to waste it by being alone,' he thought as he gathered up his courage and approached Matsuda and Motohama.

M&M were talking under the tree near the ORC building, like old times. Seeing Issei approach them, they turned their heads away and gave him the cold shoulder.

Issei has been in this situation multiple times now, but this time, he came prepared. He whipped something out of his bag and threw it on the ground between M&M.

An ero DVD.

Seeing the cover, Matsuda's pupils dilated. "OH MY GO-" he screamed, "THE LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY COPY OF ASA AKIRA'S BRAZZER'S PORTFOLIO!"

Motohama immediately spun around and was shocked. He slowly raised his trembling hand to take off his glasses. "Holy mother of God…" he muttered, "COMPLETE WITH THE TWO WALLPAPERS AND WALLET PICTURE?!"

"The one and only!" Issei exclaimed with joy.

Matsuda and Motohama continued to grovel over the DVD before slowly turning towards Issei. Their faces contorted back to cold and suspicious stares and were judging Issei, to which Issei responded by scratching the back of his head.

"Look… I don't know what I did, but please give me a chance to apologize! I'm sorry for offending you in any way and I hope you take this as a peace offering!" Issei said, bowing. "You don't know how much I've missed you guys, and I just want us to be friends again, talk again, watch eros, peak at the kendo club, anything!" he shouted with tears falling from his eyes.

M&M were his cherished comrades back in the day and he wished that they would stay that way.

After half a minute, Issei looked up and saw M&M both crying like babies, hands on the DVD. In one loud sob, all three hugged each other and raised the DVD in the air, shouting "LONG LIVE THE PERVERTED TRIO!"

Everyone who saw them were disgusted to their very core.

.

* * *

.

'Zecrow.'

' _ **Yes, dear?'**_

'Can I..?'

' _ **Hmm… I think I can handle it. Sure, go ahead!'**_

'Thank you!'

And with that, Issei brought M&M home to tell them all about his adventures. He wasn't sure of how they would react, so he warmed them up first… by watching the ero DVD, of course. Once Raynare got home, she helped Issei in explaining it all, and even Ddraig and Zecrow appeared to help.

M&M weren't as surprised as Issei thought they would be. "We already knew about the whole Fallen Angel thing with that chick you got there," Matsuda explained as he pointed towards Raynare, "but not this whole Devil supernatural shit. Damn brosef, you've been through all of that and all we could do was treat you like shit… sorry dude."

Motohama nodded and added, "Yeah, I'm sorry as well. But we did our best to research to at least try to understand what happened. But we avoided that stuff once that weird guy appeared."

Issei's brow twitched. "Weird guy…?"

"Yeah, some fag in a dress was crying in the park. He looked at us and told us to stay away. Turns out he was scratching the hell outta his face, looked like a complete mess of a human being…" Matsuda said.

"Except he wasn't," Motohama continued, "he had these weird bat-like wings coming out of his back and had, like, this weird miasma permeating from him. He kept crying out, 'ASIA! ASIA! MY DEAR, DEAR ASIA!' or some shit like that."

Issei immediately stood, his face shaded black by his hair. Everyone in the room were a little shocked and afraid by his sudden appearance, especially after hearing about his power. He ran for the nearest window and jumped out.

 _ **[MIRROR IMAGE]**_

His body was engulfed in mist. Soon after, he landed on the roof as four of his clones scattered to different areas.

' **Partner, are you sure about this?'** Ddraig inquired.

'Whoever that guy is, he knows Asia. He might know how to save her.'

'… **but still, we don't even know who this guy is.'**

Issei thought for a moment. 'Yeah, but there's an old geezer who would know!' he said as he opened a tear in space and crossed through it.

 _~ a few moments later ~_

"Yes, a young devil did step into this area, I felt it two days ago," Azazel explained. "I know where he is, but I can't distinguish his identity… seems his aura is too chaotic."

"Great, then, can you help me find him? You can probably recognize him when you see him, right?" Issei asked.

Azazel smiled cunningly. "Yes, I'm sure I can handle that… for a price!"

Issei frowned.

 **[BOOSTED GEAR]**

Issei grabbed Azazel's crotch using the Boosted Gear, and immediately the gauntlet started flashing green as **[BOOST]** sounds emanated from it. "I don't have time to play games, Azazel"

.

* * *

.

Exiting a tear, Issei and Azazel step onto the ash and ruins of the old church. Skeletons of the deceased mages and Fallen Angels littered the ground.

"He's definitely around here somewhere," Azazel muttered, searching.

"Then let's have a look around," Issei said.

Issei began walking amongst the ash, kicking into the ground here and there to check for any hollow places. Both Issei and Azazel were kicking and pushing debris aside, searching for any clues as to where the mysterious person was.

Suddenly, Issei stepped on something that made a metallic noise. Looking down and picking up the item, he recognized it as Freed Sellzen's exorcist pistol. 'Could be useful, 'he thought as he pocketed it.

They were searching for another minute before Azazel called out to Issei. "There seems to be some sort of magic circle here. It's definitely a summoning circle, but the insignia and emblems are strange… I haven't encountered such inscriptions before."

Issei gave no reply, but eyed the magic circle suspiciously. Summoning the Boosted Gear, he placed it over the magic circle. "Ddraig, can you feel anything across from this?"

"… **warmth. No, heat. Lots of it. Growing stronger and stronger…"**

Azazel's eyes widened. "Issei, get ba-"

 _Boom._

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 **AN {**

So, a relatively short chapter, sorry about that.

You can probably guess who the mysterious person is, if you're smart enough.

Also, if you have any knowledge of Bible events, especially in Genesis, you should take a look at the title of this chapter and think. _Think hard._ If you do, you might be able to guess what happens in the next chapter.

If you haven't noticed, this is supposed to be a character building chapter. I finally reconciled M&M (although a little anti-climactic, but I'm proud of the comedic aspect to it) and laid the works for Issei's future peerage + harem.

See you guys next time!

 **}**

Questions and Answers **[Q &A]**:

 **[Q]** "don't worry man we all forget shit sometimes. I sometimes forget where I am and my own name :)" – Raskator

 **[A]** Same, fam, same.

 **[Q]** "Why only go back a few months? If he wanted to get strong, he should've went back like a decade. Seems like such a waste." – ObsessivelyObsessiveObsession

 **[A]** Well, the story this is based on – Creator's Gift by Kami of Anime – did just that. I didn't want to completely steal his idea, and I also wanted to avoid unnecessary buildup to the story, which would cause complications (such as, wouldn't Issei be noticed at a younger age by the three factions? What about his parents? What happened between him and Irina?).

 **[Q]** "who cares about asia anyways" – afaf

 **[A]** Like, 70% of the HSDxD community :) don't worry bro I'm with you.

 **[Q]** "Bro ssj3 kyubii gohans story the heart of a dragon is the entire reason I'm reading yours right now" – Brawler883

 **[A]** You know, sidenote, I've always wanted to make a sort of guild with other writers on FanFiction, to collaborate on stories and such… that would be awesome. If ever I try to make that happen, I definitely need big names and people I respect a lot such as **SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan** , **Paynis** , or **Arrixam** in the roster to convince other writers. But at this point I'm just thinking out loud :) because I've only written this one fic that isn't even on the front page, so they would never notice me :( #FeelsBadMan

 **[Q]** "Taking on Riser's whole peerage...oh this is going to be great" – HeroBladeRiyet

 **[A]** Others have asked me, "Did you mean Issei will take Riser's peerage for his own or will he just fight them?" I've thought about this a lot, and I can only promise that certain people from Riser's peerage will be taken by Issei. I doubt all of them are important or strong enough to be important, and building characters is what I take my pride in, so expect only three to five transferees. But, hell yeah, he's gonna fight them.


End file.
